


Through The Night

by mochilou



Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: Angst, Baby Jongho, But I love him irl, Cheating, Fluff, High school sweethearts Seongjoong, Hongjoong and Jongho deserves better, Infidelity, Long-Term Relationship(s), M/M, Marriage, Married Seongjoong, Mingi is whipped for Hongjoong, Seonghwa is a cheater, Seonghwa is an asshole, The World of the Married 2.0, This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things, hongjoong is oblivious
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-28
Updated: 2020-10-10
Packaged: 2021-03-06 14:15:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 34
Words: 89,007
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26150248
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mochilou/pseuds/mochilou
Summary: "Just like letters on the sand where the waves were, I feel you'll disappear to a far off place."-Through the Night, IUSeonghwa and Hongjoong have been together since they were 15 years old, from being high school sweethearts to being being married, having a five year old son named Jongho, one might say that they are the picture perfect family.
Relationships: Kang Yeosang/Park Seonghwa, Kim Hongjoong/Park Seonghwa, Kim Hongjoong/Song Mingi
Comments: 439
Kudos: 319





	1. Chapter 1

Hongjoong’s ears were filled with the laughter of his little boy, followed by the sound of his small feet pattering on the wooden floor of their quaint home 

“Jongho! Please get back here!” his eyes crinkle into crescents upon hearing his husband’s voice calling for their mischievous son who was adamant on getting completely dressed.

He puts away the dishes he was washing before wiping his damp hands on his apron, making his way to the living room and there he saw his baby bouncing on their springy couch.

Giggles flooding out of his mouth as he gets away from his dad, who was now quite tired seeing as he was plopped down on one of the single seater couch, holding some of Jongho’s clothes, a clear sign that he’s given up on dressing him.

“Ah Jongie, you little monster, look what you did to your Dad.” Hongjoong catches Jongho from behind, wrapping him in between his arms before peppering his chubby cheek with kisses upon kisses, making Jongho squeal in surprise but he turns around, wrapping his arms around his Papa’s neck, nuzzling a bit as he smells his familiar citrus scent.

“You have got to stop letting San and Wooyoung babysit him, I’m certain that they’re feeding him too much sweets.” Sseonghwa huffs, folding the clothes neatly before setting them down next to him while Hongjoong just ignores him as he pulls Jongho away, just enough so he can see him when he talks “Is there something wrong baby?” 

“Don’t like what Daddy picked out,” Seonghwa gasps dramatically, feigning offense while Hongjoong just laughs at his honesty “Like it better when Papa dresses me.” Jongho turns to poke his tongue out at his dad who pouts 

“How so baby?” Hongjoong hums and Jongho wiggles off him, making his way back to Seonghwa and picking up the clothes in both hands, waving them around as he makes a disgusted look

“I t-think ugly,” Hongjoong busts out laughing again at Seonghwa’s choice of clothing, it wasn’t bad as it was only a pair of denim overalls as well as an olive green shirt but maybe in Jongho’s young eyes they were too muted because he’s so used to being dressed up by his papa in fun and bright colors but he can see why Seonghwa chose those in terms of helping him get dressed, seeing as it was more of his style.

“Don’t you wanna look like Daddy too?” he asks, little Jongho turned to his dad, looking down at what he was wearing which had the same colors as the clothes he picked out and it was almost as if he was a light which flickered on and he smiles widely, showing off his cute teeth.

“W-Want to!” he stutters a bit and this time Seonghwa smiles a bit, jumping up on his feet and taking Jongho in his arms “Now, how about you go be a good boy and get dressed or else we’ll be late.”

And with that Jongho slipped out of his dad’s hold, his little fingers were wrapped around the clothes before he runs off to his bedroom, this leaves Hongjoong and Seonghwa in the living room but it was only momentarily as Hongjoong excused himself to brew a cup of coffee as well as get some strawberry milk for Jongho.

“Thank you Love, what would I do without you?” he hears Seonghwa breathe out as soon as he stepped foot in their kitchen area 

“Oh stop it, I did the bare minimum.'' The blue haired man chuckles, back still turned to him as he looks for Jongho’s favorite utensils to use because he won’t eat unless it’s familiar to him.

However, his actions came to a halt when he felt Seonghwa’s hand on his waist, gently pulling him close until his back was flushed against Seonghwa’s chest who immediately leaned down, resting his chin on his husband’s shoulder. 

The smaller of the two relaxes, bringing his hand up, patting Seonghwa’s cheek before getting back to searching for what he needed, all while his lover was clinging to him like a koala.

But for the second time, he freezes upon the feeling of his large hand trailing down from the base of his neck to the top buttons of his shirt, Seonghwa slowly unbuttons his chiffon material and that’s when Hongjoong turns on his heels to face him, hands planted on to the counter behind him.

“Isn’t it too early?” he whispers, Seonghwa smirks as he caresses his cheek, softly running the pads of his fingers on his cheeks that were dusted with some blush “It’s never too early, Sweetheart.” 

Seonghwa lifts Hongjoong up, sitting him down on the counter as the younger felt his husband’s lips on his, even giving him a little bite so he’d partly open his mouth and slip his tongue in, he was surely surprised at this but he locks his ankles around Seonghwa’s waist, pulling him closer and keeping him in place.

Hongjoong smiles in the middle of their kiss but a gasp soon escaped his cherry lips when Seonghwa had squeezed his waist a bit too hard, surprising him and causing him to pull away as he leans further back but of course Seonghwa was quick to follow, burying his face into Hongjoong’s neck. 

“Hey, it’s too early, I don’t want Jongho to be late to school and we have to get to work.” he reminds but at the same time he was still letting Seonghwa kiss down his neck, causing every hair on his body to stand up.

The smaller whimpers a bit when he feels Seonghwa’s teeth bite along his now exposed collarbones, his chiffon shirt was halfway undone as it slid down one of shoulders, showing off his chest that had zero blemishes. 

He brings his hand up to his mouth to keep himself quiet as he doesn’t want to accidentally moan out loud and alarm their son who will surely come running in at the thought that his papa might be hurt.

“I could just eat you up, baby, right here, right now.” Seonghwa groans as he starts to undo his belt but something comes up that causes them to pull away from each other, one factor is Seonghwa’s phone ringing loudly.

Hongjoong doesn’t notice him tense up at the call as he hears Jongho’s yells that he’s done, Hongjoong giggles as he fixes his shirt.

“I love you.” he pecked his lips one more time before getting off the counter, grabbing Seonghwa’s phone from the table and tossing it towards him, failing to see who it was as he focused on accommodating his son who seemed to be excited when he smells the warm pancakes that is always specially made for him and only him.

⚝──⭒─⭑─⭒──⚝

Seonghwa opted to drop Jongho off at his school, give them a bit more time to bond and talk so they had to leave earlier than Hongjoong but it did give him some time to fix himself up again.

Seeing as his highlight had somehow gotten wiped away because of Seonghwa and his gloss had worn off also because of Seonghwa.

It was only a matter of time before he left to go to his own job, when he went inside the boutique, he was expecting to be met with San who is usually an early bird. 

He’s gotten used to him always greeting him in the morning that it felt odd to be met with silence but he’s pretty sure that San is already in, seeing as the lights are on as well as the air conditioning and he can see his water bottle on the counter.

He doesn’t think much of it because he might be getting coffee from his boyfriend’s cafe, he even brings out his phone to text San to get him one as well but as soon as he passed by their storage room, he hears a thump followed by the sound of giggling and Hongjoong rolls his eyes, he couldn’t believe they were doing it again, more so inside the damn storage closet.

“Out!” he yells, pounding his small fist on the door before trying to open it but it was locked, he ends up standing aside, hands on his hips as he waits for his friend to come out of the small room.

The lock finally clicks after a few more seconds and Wooyoung comes out, followed by San who was disheveled, lips swollen and red, clothes wrinkled and his neck had a blooming hickey.

“It’s barely 9 in the morning, you live together! Don’t bring that shit in the workplace.” he scolds the couple, Wooyoung just smirks, wrapping an arm around San’s waist 

“I didn’t know you’d get in so early, Hyung,” he starts, before leaning in to kiss his boyfriend’s cheek.

“My boyfriend just looked so beautiful this morning that I had to come see him after I dropped him off. Can you blame me, hyung?” San’s ears turned pink as well as his cheeks due to the compliments coming from Wooyoung, as if it’s the first time he’s hearing it.

“Yeah, yeah, can you get out now? You can continue your fun later on at the privacy of your own home.” Wooyoung hums, nodding at the older’s orders before he pressed a kiss on to San’s forehead 

“I’ll pick you up later, Baby.” Hongjoong sees San smile fondly at his boyfriend before he went back to his spot on the cash register and Wooyoung finally took his leave to go back to his own job before his co-worker can notice that he snuck off again to see San.

“Good morning to you Hyung!” San smiles cheekily, greeting him like the usual as if he wasn’t just caught making out with his boyfriend. 

Hongjoong starts to brush his jet black hair, making him look presentable again. San calls it his parental instinct but he absolutely loved it when his hyung tends to baby him sometimes.

“Don’t act all innocent Hyung, you had your fun this morning too.” he smirks and Hongjoong plays coy, asking what he meant by that and San just pokes the bite mark that was indented on the skin of his collarbone and he was quick to hide it by buttoning his shirt up.

“So, are you planning on giving Jongho a baby brother anytime soon?” he asks while Hongjoong just clicked his tongue, stowing his bag away 

“I’ve thought of it but with Seonghwa being so busy and Jongho is growing up, having different needs, I don’t think we can swing adopting another child but I’m not opposed to it.” he explains, San nods knowing the full story of how Jongho came unexpectedly into their lives when they were only 21.

They were unprepared when Jongho came along, seeing as they were fresh college graduates living in a tiny apartment that was just a few minutes away from their university.

But it was on one fateful night that Hongjoong’s cousin begged him to take Jongho in as she couldn’t raise him on her own, relaying that her boyfriend left as soon as he found out and her parents were threatening to cut her off if she keeps him. 

With tears in her eyes, even though it was a hard decision to make, she knows that Hongjoong will take good care of him, although it was too early, they fully accepted the role of becoming parents as they’ve thought about adopting just after they get married.

Seonghwa was ecstatic as he’s always said how he’d like to have kids with Hongjoong, albeit a little early but he loved Jongho the moment he held him.

Seeing those big brown eyes made his heart beat like crazy and it gave him motivation to work even harder for his son’s future. 

By the grace of the Gods, he was quickly hired into the company he’d been interning for in his senior year of college, slowly but surely he made his way to the top of the hierarchy, eventually being part of the best teams in terms of photography.

Hongjoong had to put his music producing hobby on hold as he opted to be hands on in taking care of Jongho but he turned his attention to fashion and art, putting his art degree to use.

Creating pieces of his own and doing commission until he got lucky, getting recognized by a fellow designer and with some support from Seonghwa, he opened his own store. 

At times he even took Jongho to whenever he had to work and didn’t have anyone to take care of him, everyone always cooed at the sight when he’d help a customer and he would have Jongho on his chest, inside his little carrier..

“Has he been asking you, hasn’t he? I know he probably talks to you about it when he’s over at your place.” San shakes his head, leaning over the counter, playing with some of Hongjoong’s handmade jewelry

“But back to the topic of adopting, Wooyoung and I have talked about having a family of our own soon, maybe after getting married too.” Hongjoong raises his face up from his phone, his expression turning into a happy one at the news 

“Oh, that’s great Sannie,” he smiles softly “You two have been together long enough, stable jobs, a place of your own and bringing a child can further strengthen your relationship, much like mine and Hwa’s relationship.”

“Good morning!” the pair turned to the door where Yunho had come in, coming back from a trip overseas “Hey! I didn’t know you were back, how was it?” Hongjoong asked cheerfully, hugging his tall friend, almost jumping on him.

“More importantly, did you get us anything? Souvenirs, candy, whatever it is I will love it!” San bats his eyes cutely as his eyes are glued to the shopping bags in his hand, making Yunho roll his eyes playfully but nonetheless he puts a paper bag in front of him, it had his name on it so San didn’t hesitate and just pulled out whatever was inside.

“Thank you Yunho, you didn’t have to get us anything though.” he thanks him, taking another bag from Yunho and pulling out a stuffed bear that is surely for Jongho, it even looked customized 

“That is your son’s request, he called me from your phone one night.” he says as he helped San with opening one of the chocolate boxes 

“I am so sorry, he shouldn’t have-” 

“Hyung, it’s okay, he politely asked and why not, also, I stopped by here and gave it to you because I know Hwa is on the stricter side in terms of getting him toys.” he nods as he looked through the various small stuffed animals, chocolates and gummies inside the bag 

“Seonghwa Hyung is just making sure that Jongho doesn’t grow up spoiled.” San points out making Hongjoong agree, saying that it’s for the best that Jongho understands and learns at a young age.

“You guys are amazing a sparents, have you thought about adopting another kid?” he asked and Hongjoong shook his head 

“I don’t think we’d be able to, seeing as we’re busy and Seonghwa goes overseas at times. Let me guess, Jongho has mentioned it too?” Yunho smiles sheepishly before saying yes and Hongjoong’s heart swelled, he would love to have another child but at the same time he just feels like they don’t really have the time but he will surely bring it up with Seonghwa and see what he thinks of it.


	2. Chapter 2

“Hey Hwa,” Hongjoong calls out, coming out of the shower, still wrapped around in a bathrobe, drying his blue hair on a towel 

“Yes Love?” Seonghwa looks up at him, turning his attention away from Jongho momentarily

“Can you pretty please get Jongie ready for bed?” he bats his lashes at him as if Seonghwa won’t do as told 

“But Papa, ‘s Friday!” Jongho reminds, pouting as he crosses his arms over his chest as he looks at them with puppy dog eyes

“And what about it?” Seonghwa asks, looking back at him, pinching his cheeks since he was sitting on his lap.

“I get to stay an extra hour!” his eyes glimmered with happiness at the thought of having to watch another movie with his parents but Hongjoong momentarily looks at Seonghwa immediately getting an idea on what to say to him so he'd go to bed and he glides over to them 

“I know baby but you have to get lots of sleep so you’ll grow big and strong like Daddy.” he pokes his nose, making him scrunch it

Seonghwa hoists him up, even throwing him up in the air that earns him a slap from Hongjoong, who doesn’t like it when Seonghwa plays _“airplane”_ with him at the fear that Jongho might slip out of his grasp and seriously hurt himself.

“Let’s get you ready for bed then little bug and tomorrow, since it’s the weekend, you can go over to Seungmin’s house for a play date and then we can get ice cream afterwards and you can get anything you'd like.” Hongjoong says and this was enough to make him agree, making the couple laugh at how easy he could be persuaded as he securely wrapped his arms around his dad’s neck 

“And I will see you in our room.” he winks at Seonghwa who’s eyes widen at what he meant by that, so he quickly leaves the space, heading to Jongho’s room so he can tuck him in, kiss him goodnight and be able to ravish his husband.

Hongjoong runs his fingers through his damp hair as he looks at his reflection in the mirror, he knows how much Seonghwa likes it whenever he wears his clothes as it’s too big on him, he always has his ways of turning him on

letting the garment slip over his shoulders to show off his skin that will surely be full of marks by the time Seonghwa is done with him.

He lies down on the bed, putting one leg over the other as he waits for the door to open, he can’t wait to catch Seonghwa off guard

and just as he expected, the ravenette’s eyes raked over him upon entering the room, he can’t take his eyes off him as he kicks the door close.

In his eyes, Hongjoong has always looked as beautiful as the day he laid his eyes on him.

But his brain just goes haywire whenever he sees Hongjoong like this as it was a rare occurrence; dressed in his clothes, showing off the smooth skin of his legs, those collarbones that are to die for and his perfect bare face 

“You’re so beautiful, you always are.” Seonghwa crawls over him

dipping his head down causing some giggles to flow out of his husband’s lips as his hair tickles him a bit but Hongjoong pushes him aside, straddling him as he unbuttons Seonghwa’s pajama top.

Meanwhile, Seonghwa had his index finger under Hongjoong’s chin, making him look up so they’d see each other eye to eye before feeling him move his hips a bit

It caused Seonghwa to bite on his bottom lip as he plants his hands onto Hongjoong’s petite waist, almost as if he was helping him move, loosing himself in the pleasure and letting his eyes flutter close. 

His eyes flutter shut, feeling Hongjoong’s nails dig into his chest and for a split second he sees someone else behind those closed eyes that caused him to shot up into a sitting position, his reaction causes some worry to the blue haired man 

“Something wrong Hwa?” he cups his face, eyebrows turning downward and Seonghwa breathes out, looking intently at Hongjoong's face to remind himself who was in front of him.

“No, nothing at all.” he assures, pecking his lips before flipping their position quite roughly, much to Hongjoong’s distaste as he wasn’t used to it.

“Hwa, calm down, I'm not going anywhere.” he reminds but Seonghwa didn’t waste time as he rips the shirt apart, causing the buttons that was holding the shirt together to fly throughout the room.

Hongjoong was about to say something but he was silenced when Seonghwa wraps his lips against his.

Nonetheless of the rough action, Hongjoong kept him close, moaning softly when Seonghwa slips his underwear off

kissing down his torso and making Hongjoong bite the back of his hand as he was feeling hazy due to the pleasure, eyes barely open and looking up at the ceiling.

Seonghwa was just getting to it, ready to have an intimate night with his husband as their schedules have been getting in the way somehow but he stops upon hearing Jongho’s voice echoing through the halls.

“Papa!” they pull away from each other, fixing their disheveled selves as they didn't want Jongho to be kept waiting or else he will leave his room and come to theirs

“Daddy! I can’t sleep!” Jongho calls out again, Seonghwa lets out a sigh as he watched Hongjoong roll off the bed, grabbing the first shirt he can get hold of as well as a pair of sweatpants from their drawer.

He swiftly puts it on as he runs back to Seonghwa on the bed, kissing him countless of times before sprinting out of the room

“I’ll be back, don’t fall asleep just yet!”

⚝──⭒─⭑─⭒──⚝

The next day, Jongho became quite pouty after finding out that his dad couldn’t join them in visiting Seungmin’s house and for ice cream since he was called in for a unexpected meeting.

Hongjoong was understanding as he heard how excited Yunho was through the phone in telling them who wanted to see him, so he lets him go with the promise that they spend the next day together.

“Seonghwa hyung, I am so sorry for calling you, I know it’s the weekend and it's your family day but I just know that you wouldn’t want to miss this opportunity.” Yunho smiled as he accompanied his boss inside the conference room of their floor.

He didn't pay much attention but upon entering the room, he almost stumbles as the person sitting on the chair turned out to be Yeosang.

All decked out in Burberry as well as the pearl necklace that he'd gotten for him at some point

“Shit,” he mutters under his breath as he straightens himself up 

“Did you say something Hyung?” Yunho asks and Seonghwa tells him he's alright before waving him off, telling him he will speak to their new _“client”_ alone, the peach-haired man nods, handing Seonghwa a folder that contains Mr. Kang's terms and conditions before getting out to continue his duties.

This leaves Seonghwa alone with Yeosang, who now had his feet propped up on the table.

His eyes following Seonghwa as he walked along the glass walls, pulling the blinds down so no one can see who was in there nor see something they shouldn't be seeing.

“Yeosang, what in god’s name are you doing here?” he questions but the blonde just pouts, playing with the string of pearls around his neck

“It’s nice to see you too, honey.” he smiles, standing up from the swiveling chair 

“Oh come on, didn’t you miss me?” he eggs on, reaching forward and grabbing his tie as he climbs up on the table, already teasing him at such a risky place

“Fuck, of course I did,” Yeosang squeaks when Seonghwa hugs him, even carrying him at some point

"I'm sorry I didn't come to see you when you got back." he inhales his cologne as it’s been almost a month since they last saw each other since he had to travel overseas for fashion shows and photo shoots and he wanted to surprise his boyfriend.

“I’m sure you heard the conflict that went down with my previous agency.” Seonghwa nods, following the news at how he spoke out that they were turning down international offers for him and why Yeosang went overseas on his own.

Accepting those offers which earned media attention and he publicly announced that he was terminating his own contract from the agency which he basically carried on his back.

“I took the risk knowing that you’d take me in if they were to drop me, you’ve always wanted me here for so long so I can be treated fairly, so what do you say Hwa?” Seonghwa gulps, having his extramarital lover under the company he works at where people can easily know and leak their story to the press and eventually reach his husband 

“Hwa,” Yeosang snaps his fingers in front of his face

“Pretty please? I’m sure no one would notice and I will be on my best behavior while I’m here, I can’t promise you behind closed doors though.” 

Seonghwa thinks about it, erasing the fact that he’s his _“mistress”_ as he thinks about having Yeosang in his company from a business stand-point.

He’s been in the modelling industry since he was 18 and even dabbled into acting when he gets the chance, earning roles as a side character but he would boost up ratings.

Having been discovered from street-casting and basically becoming an overnight sensation due to his ethereal beauty as well as duality, getting offers from huge fashion and make-up brands left and right, he is definitely worth signing under their company as it would gain attention and not to mention, he’d know that Yeosang is being treated like a human being. 

He cups Yeosang’s chin, the pad of his thumb running over his glossy bottom lip

“You’ve got yourself a deal then, Mr. Kang.” the younger had a beaming smile on his face as he kisses Seonghwa

“It’ll be a pleasure finally working with you then Mr. Park.”

Upon arriving home, he sees that his husband and son were already home from what was supposed to be a family activity.

Jongho had just gotten out of the bath and was dressed in his bear pajamas and Hongjoong was brushing his hair so it'd dry faster, letting him watch cartoons so he’d stay still.

“Hey, how’d it go with the Kang Yeosang?” Hongjoong asks curiously while Seonghwa took his shoes off

“How’d you know I was with him?” he asks, throwing his jacket aside, kissing Hongjoong who was waiting with his lips puckered 

“Yunho told me, of course!” he smiled proudly, knowing how successful he is and will bring more recognition, not only to the company but Seonghwa himself as a lot of people from social media have always expressed how they wanted Yeosang to work with Seonghwa, deeming that he would fit his style of photography.

“He’s quite a beauty, you know.” he adds in a low voice to avoid being heard, he’s human and knowing some background around Yeosang.

He can’t help but feel a tad insecure but he shakes this off as he wasn't one to compare himself to others.

“I’m happy for you,” Seonghwa raises his brow, asking why but Hongjoong lets him wait as he tied Jongho’s hair up so he’d resemble an apple, making Seonghwa chuckle as it showed more of his baby’s face before he pats his back, telling him he’s all done and can run back to his room again. 

Jongho hopped off the couch, waddling towards Seonghwa to give him a kiss on the cheek before going to his room, letting the adults talk in private.

“I’m happy because of the new opportunity given to you, we should celebrate soon.” he suggests, throwing his legs over Seonghwa's lap as he gets into a more relaxing position.

“Just a small get together for the success that is about to come.”

Seonghwa somehow felt a pit on his stomach form at the thought of Hongjoong and Yeosang being in the same room but he quickly changes the topic as he goes over to him, showing him his charming smile that makes Hongjoong’s heart pound like crazy.

“Or we can celebrate now, just you and I.” his eyes turned dark as he nipped on the skin of Hongjoong’s jaw.

“That sounds about right.” he agreed, undoing Seonghwa’s belt while the latter did the same with the ties of his sweatpants

“Let’s finish what we started last night.” he hums against his skin before carrying Hongjoong up in his arms like a bride, bringing him to the privacy of the bedroom.

He plops Hongjoong down on the bed, flipping him onto his stomach as he pulls down the sweatpants that were hiding his peachy ass, watching the skin turn pink under pressure.

“Hwa, fu-” they were once again interrupted when they hear a thump as well as the sound of Jongho crying.

Hongjoong springs up into action before Seonghwa could even comprehend what was happening, he pulls his pants up again as he apologizes to his husband before running out of the room making Seonghwa sigh as he follows shortly.


	3. Chapter 3

The sound of upbeat music filled the Park’s residence as the night progressed, Seonghwa eventually gave in to what Hongjoong wanted allowing him to throw a little celebration for having a new and successful face in the company he works at and not to mention the traction it was getting from the public, the projects that will come in endlessly. 

Seonghwa successfully hid his anxiousness behind his teeth when Yeosang came to their home, keeping it professional, mingling with the people they will be working with soon enough.

As he promised, Yeosang was on his best behaviour, being less touchy with him since they were surrounded by the people who are closest to their lives but Seonghwa broke his own rule as he gave the blonde subtle little touches when he gets the chance to.

Jongho wasn’t much of a handful to Hongjoong that night, seeing as he was playing with kids his age but he was mostly following along his Seungmin, whom he’s basically conjoined to the hip with but he still had some fun with Hyunjin and all his other little friends that came with their parents.

Hongjoong was with his own friends, huddled together in their gazebo that he’d set up with fairy lights to give it some shine and Seonghwa was engaging in business conversations with his friends from small agencies.

“God, I could just look at him smile all night.” Hongjoong says fondly, leaning back into the banister as he took a glance at Seonghwa

“You’re doing exactly that so just keep going.” San says, handing him a shot of vodka which Hongjoong drank immediately so he can pass the shot to the next person.

“Okay, I don’t want to be a downer but keep an eye on him, Hyung,” Wooyoung points out, filling the shot glass he’d taken from Hongjoong

“Wooyoung, not the time.” San shakes his head at what his boyfriend was about to say “It’s stupid Hyung, don’t listen to him.” he adds and Wooyoung winces at the burning after taste of the liquor as well as San calling his assumptions stupid

“It’s not stupid, it’s just something I happen to notice!” he defends and before anything can be explained, Hongjoong is now stuck in between San and Wooyoung who were bickering like children.

Hongjoong ended up drinking more shots, not caring that it was supposed to be San's turn as he waited for the pair to shut their mouths and just tell him what could this _“stupid”_ thing be.

“Can both of you shut the fuck up, you’re stressing out Hongjoong hyung.” Yunho steps in, Hongjoong wasn't even stressed, he was just drinking but Yunho scowls as he tells the couple that the whole party can basically hear their bickering and it was enough to stop them

“Let’s hear this stupid thing then,” Hongjoong lightly hits Wooyoung with his foot, to egg him on what he has to say

“I just happen to notice that he hasn’t introduced you to Yeosang and we all know how much Seonghwa hyung loves to show off his husband.” Raising a brow, he hops off the banister and sits down on one of the chairs to be leveled with his friends

“And what is that supposed to mean Woo?” Yunho jumps in, drinking the remainder of his wine, passing off on the hard drinks since he has to drive himself home.

“I know that it’s stupid to believe everything that the media says and I shouldn’t be the one to judge but Yeosang just rubs me the wrong way, especially since he's always rumored to have flings with his fellow models, sometimes actors he works with.”

Everyone grew silent, it wasn’t anything awkward but rather no one knew how to answer to such a bold statement but San saw the look of confusion in Hongjoong’s eyes and he was quick to hold his hand, patting the top of it as if to comfort him

“Youngie, you need to stop reading articles online, we all know how Seonghwa loves Joongie, to the point where it’s disgusting,” Hongjoong gasped at San’s words, feigning offense but he eventually laughs.

“Insinuating that something might go on behind the scenes is just plain stupid.”

Wooyoung hums at his boyfriend’s answer as he bit his tongue to avoid counter-acting what he said, especially when he sees the look of relief painted in Hongjoong’s face and he nods, he’s known his Seonghwa Hyung long enough to know that he’s very much faithful to his husband.

“Oh come on, these two have been together since they were in high school, i doubt that Seonghwa Hyung would do such a thing.” Yunho assures him, ruffling his curly blue hair, making the smaller slap his hands away, telling him he worked hard on doing his hair and it should not be ruined.

“You’re probably right but you know me, I’m just looking out for my Hyung, you never know what goes on inside a person's head.” Wooyoung smiles and apologizes afterwards for making such claims which Hongjoong was quick to forgive, seeing that it wasn’t anything serious and they continued to drink and talk, forgetting how the time ticks as they just had their fun.

It was a little over past 11 in the evening when they finished their 2nd bottle and some of their friends had left, Hongjoong was feeling the heat of the alcohol rush inside his body but he still had the capability to walk in a straight line.

Wooyoung and San were just slumped on the couch, drinking some water to sober up while Yunho offers to drive them home just so they'll be safe.

“Hold on, I’ll get him some more.” he sighs, getting back up on his feet to retrieve their water jug because San clearly needs more water after throwing it all over Wooyoung's face to wake him up.

But upon walking to their kitchen, he was surprised when he feels a hand wrap around his forearm

“Wha-” before he can comprehend what was happening, he was whisked into the person’s direction and they were now under the stairs which Hongjoong had turned into a small nook where he reads his books 

“Hi!” he hears a cheery voice and he sees that it was a rather tipsy Yeosang, cheeks flared up as he held a dazed smile 

“Hi, are you okay?” Hongjoong asks and the younger nods “Splendid! However, your husband’s mind seemed to wander elsewhere, don’t you think?” Yeosang says as a matter of fact, sitting down on one of the cushions 

“I’m Yeosang but I bet you already know that.” he laughs and Hongjoong nods, finding it quite amusing how different tipsy Yeosang is from sober Yeosang who seemed so collected from his observation. 

“Yes, I do, it’s nice to meet you, I’m sad we didn’t get to talk the whole evening but I’m glad you will be able to work with Seonghwa, my name is Hongjoong by the way.” he sticks his hand out and Yeosang takes it, glancing at the rose gold wedding ring that was wrapped around one of his fingers.

Before Yeosang can say something more, he locks eyes with Seonghwa from behind Hongjoong and he stands up 

“Where have you been? I’ve been looking all over fo- Oh, Joongie, you’re here too.” Seonghwa acknowledges and he pulls him out, wrapping an arm around his waist and Hongjoong failed to see how Yeosang raised a brow at the gesture.

“We were just getting to know each other Hwa, I guess you got a tad pre-occupied the whole night and so was I.” Hongjoong giggles innocently, running his fingers through his hair as he was feeling hot 

“I think Yeosang had a bit too much to drink.” Yeosang nods, fishing for his keys and tossing it to Seonghwa

“Can you drive me home Hyung?” he asks, it came as a bit of a surprise to Hongjoong but he didn’t think about it too much.

“I think you can hitch a ride with-” Yeosang grimaces, shaking his head like a child

“No, Seonghwa hyung, I only trust you!” he whines 

“You can go Hwa, I don’t think he’ll stop if you keep saying no.” Hongjoong says, his voice was filled with concern because part of him knew about the shit Yeosang went through his old company and maybe he only trusts Seonghwa just to keep himself safe.

“I can come with you if you’d like.” the blue-haired man offers but he felt tiny arms wrap around his legs as well as the feeling of Jongho nuzzling his face on to him 

“Papa, Jongie is tired.” their little one looked up, rubbing his tired eyes “Oh sweetheart, come here.” he made grabby hands when Hongjoong was preparing to pick him up.

“I’ll drive Yeosang home, love. I’ll be back in no time.” Seonghwa confidently kisses Hongjoong’s lips and of course, he didn’t forget about his baby as he peppered Jongho’s cheeks with kisses too

“Daddy will be back to tuck you in, I love you.” he says before Jongho buries his face on the crook of his papa’s neck.

Hongjoong, along with Jongho in his arms, followed them outside, thankfully San had sobered up and didn’t feel the need to throw up and Wooyoung did as well, he didn’t need to be helped into getting inside Yunho’s car and Jongho waved his little hand when the cars started to leave the pavement.

Hongjoong felt relieved that Yunho offered to follow Seonghwa, so he’d be able to drive him back home since he was driving Yeosang’s car and he’s just wants Seonghwa to come back home safe.

“How about we get you into a warm bath and then Papa can read you stories before bedtime?” Hongjoong asks his son who nodded, asking if he can pick out the book which Hongjoong didn’t hesitate to say yes to.

Meanwhile, Seonghwa, followed by Yunho, arrived in Yeosang’s condominium building

“Hyung! I’ll wait for you here, you should park his car in the garage.” Yunho puts his own car in hazard so they can leave quickly once Seonghwa comes out, seeing as Wooyoung was complaining about wanting to eat and San was just trying to sleep.

Yeosang had fallen asleep during the passenger’s seat during the drive, so Seonghwa had to carry him up, knowing how much of a grouch he is once he’s under the influence of alcohol.

He felt Yeosang curl up in his arms “You’re always so warm Hyung,” he mumbles as they went up the elevator

“And you’re drunk, didn’t I tell you not to drink so much?” he chuckles, hoisting him up a bit “Joongie is so nice,” he hiccups

“He has no clue.” Seonghwa brushes his comment off as the elevator doors open and he makes his way to Yeosang’s place, punching in his security code and immediately bringing him to the bedroom and gently placing him down on the bed.

He unbuttons his top so he’d be comfortable in his sleep

“Why do you have to be married?” Yeosang slurs as he cups Seonghwa face, momentarily stopping him from taking his shirt off

“I guess we met at an inconvenient time.” the younger pouts as he gets up a bit, capturing Seonghwa’s lips into him, moaning at the taste of champagne left on his lips.

Seonghwa wanted to do so much more but he knew he had to go back home and pretend that nothing happened

“Get some rest, we have a lot of schedules to catch up on.” Yeosang nods obediently, falling back to the bed but he tangles his fingers with Seonghwa’s before whispering

“I wish you can stay.” 

On his way down, Seonghwa wipes the remnants of the leftover lipstick on his lips that came from Yeosang to avoid suspicions from his friends who were waiting, he's always been so careful and he wouldn't want it to get foiled now

“Took you long enough. Did he vomit or something?” Yunho jokingly comments meanwhile Seonghwa’s thoughts were running wild as he itched to stay

“Yup, he sure did.” 

⚝──⭒─⭑─⭒──⚝

The sound of their door closing made Hongjoong lift his head up from their pillow, he'd been sobering up by distracting himself with videos as well as waiting for Seonghwa to come back

“Hey baby, took you quite a while, Jongho is fast asleep already.'' His voice was tired but nonetheless he still got up, crawling over to the foot of their bed, getting up on his knees as he kissed his husband and he captures a scent that wasn't his nor Seonghwa's.

“His perfume got on you.” he points out, nipping down at his jaw, hands wandering around his body.

Seonghwa was momentarily blinded with his sexual frustrations as he pushes Hongjoong down to the bed, hovering over him and pulling his shirt up, eyes lingering on his petite body which he tries to cover up.

Even though they’ve been together for years, there are still times that Hongjoong feels insecure about his body, especially when it’s intimate moments which he didn’t really prepare for and tonight was one of them.

“Pretty, don’t do that, I want to see you.” Seonghwa pulls his arms away, kissing the top of his hand before leaving a trail of kisses down Hongjoong’s torso.

Hongjoong jolts up when he feels Seonghwa’s teeth harshly biting at his hip bones, slipping his pajamas down his legs, along with his underwear and giving the marks he'd left a few kisses.

He climbs over him again, bringing his fingers up on Hongjoong's lips, tracing the pretty shape and getting some of the left-over pigment on the pads of his fingers. 

“Suck on them Joong,” he says and Hongjoong, ever so obedient, opened his lips a bit, wanting to take it little by little as he always did but he guessed that Seonghwa had other plans when he almost gags as he roughly thrusts two fingers inside his mouth, it caused Hongjoong to push his husband aside as he sits up.

“What the fuck Hwa!” he yells before coughing at the strange sensation and Seonghwa’s eyes widen at his actions, remembering that Hongjoong wasn’t used to anything rough

“Shit, baby, I am so sorry.” he apologizes, covering him up with their comforter, holding him tightly, making him feel safe 

“Can you at least warn me when you do something like that? You know I'm not used to that kind of stuff.” his voice was hoarse from coughing.

He genuinely wasn’t in the mood anymore, asking for the clothes that had been strewn over the bed and Seonghwa dresses him up, feeling a tinge of guilt for what he did.

“I’m sorry baby.” he wraps his arms around Hongjoong as they lied down on the bed, he planted kisses on the nape of his neck and the younger sighs

“It’s okay, I was just surprised, that’s all.” he answers, twisting around so he was face to face with Seonghwa, putting a hand on his cheek, caressing his cheek bones softly 

“Let’s just sleep, I already know we’ll both wake up with a hangover.” he kisses his nose and Seonghwa agreed, pulling Hongjoong close and giving him a kiss on the crown of his head

“I love you Joong.” he mumbles and Hongjoong smiles just as he closes his eyes “I love you too Hwa.”


	4. Chapter 4

Weeks upon weeks passed ever since the word got out that Yeosang is going to be under a different company.

Flocks of reporters would always try to get a word out of him about his current status and at times when they get lucky, they would approach Seonghwa who doesn’t entertain it, just pushes past them to continue his day. 

Seonghwa was very hands on in handling Yeosang’s shoots and appearances and Yeosang had always been persistent in monitoring the outcomes of his shots

Of course, with the permission from Seonghwa which wasn’t surprising to the staff who has worked with Yeosang in the past, as he is very headstrong, it doesn’t matter who he is working with, he knows what looks good and what doesn’t.

Seonghwa’s own coworkers didn’t think much of it as they’ve seen him grow and they know that he likes to give the clients freedom on what works with them and what won’t.

But of course, they don’t know there’s something even more happening behind closed doors between Seonghwa and Yeosang, something that goes beyond professionalism.

Yeosang always gives him subtle looks through the lens of the cameras, he knew how to entice Seonghwa with bare minimum gestures.

Whether it was batting his beautiful light brown eyes that go from soft to fierce in a split-second or biting his finger as one of his signature poses. 

He just knows what he likes, how could he not when they’ve been quite intimate for almost a year, he knows what Seonghwa likes, he knows how to excite the man.

It was one of the nights where Seonghwa was staying late in his studio, being only to work at nights due to being quite busy on his regular working hours.

He was putting on some final touches on the shots that were the final line-up for a spread that had some detailed articles as to why Yeosang decided to move to a different company, even though the last place he was in was the reason for all his success. 

If he wasn’t this busy, he could’ve been at home, either putting Jongho to bed or just relaxing with Hongjoong but during the following days

He was rarely home but Hongjoong understood, seeing as it is quite a routine whenever Seonghwa has projects so he understood and not once did he nag Seonghwa about it.

They’ve learned to adjust to it, ever since they were in college so it wasn’t something that affected them even in their married life, not yet at least. 

Seonghwa would come home in the late hours of the night, dead tired and eyes threatening to close that he wouldn’t be able to take his shoes off and he would just crawl under the sheets with his husband and this would wake Hongjoong up from his own slumber, kicking Seonghwa’s shoes off with his feet and taking off his blazer or sometimes his sweater so he’d be comfortable in his sleep.

Sometimes he wouldn’t be able to do it since Seonghwa likes to cling to him, mumbling to just leave it as is because he just wants to sleep.

A knock on the door pulls him away from his concentration, he minimizes the program he was using, pausing the music before he calls for the person to come in, a smile grows on his lips when he sees that it’s his shining blonde lover.

“Hey, how about we get out of here and I make us dinner at my place.” he offers, walking inside but making sure to close the door behind him so no one can peek inside and see what they were doing.

“We’ll see, I’m still working.” he points at his computer and Yeosang nods, telling him to get back to it so he can finish sooner and they can get out, with some caution of course.

He wanders over to what seemed to be a shelf full of his memorabilia which surely wasn’t there before he left to go overseas.

By the looks of it, they were photos taken of him and Hongjoong when they were in high school and up to the present, his fingers traced what seemed to be a home-made frame which contains a photo taken from a photo booth, the strip was in black and white, featuring a much younger Seonghwa and Hongjoong.

The words _“First Date”_ was written in calligraphy, it started off with just a normal photo, the second was Hongjoong looking at him as if he’d hung the stars in the sky, and the last photo was him kissing a surprised Seonghwa.

The shelf looks to be arranged by years since he moved to the next and noticed it was their prom photos, it looked as if Hongjoong had yelped in pain in the middle of the photo while Seonghwas was pinning a boutonniere on him.

He got to their high school graduation photo, Seonghwa was carrying him bridal style while Hongjoong held their diplomas and next to it was a recreation for it from their college graduation and of course, he knows that it wasn’t long after that Jongho came to their lives and sitting alone in one of the sections is a photo of their wedding day.

He wonders to himself, what could it have been if Seonghwa was only his? He shakes it off as he tells himself that maybe in another life, it’s not like this. 

Putting on a smile, he hops over to Seonghwa, pulling him away from his desk and sitting down on his lap 

“Take a break, you’ve been working so hard, hmm?.” he wraps his arms around his neck, playing with his hair on the back of his head 

“I would’ve been done days ago if it weren’t for you always sneaking in here and distracting me with your pretty face.” Seonghwa chuckles, holding Yeosang securely so he wouldn’t slip off, holding him by his waist

“Well, I always see the way you look at me, you’re not so slick either.” he giggles lightly before kissing him, Seonghwa groans at the feeling of Yeosang biting and sucking on his bottom lip. 

It always gives him a rush and before he knows it, he’s lifting Yeosang up and sitting him down on the clean part of his desk so they wouldn’t knock anything out of the way, momentarily breaking their breathless kiss as he undoes Yeosang’s pants.

“Here?” Yeosang asked, the question made Seonghwa laugh “You ask that as if we’ve never done it here.”

Yeosang rolls his eyes playfully before pulling his shirt up over his head, giving Seonghwa a full view of his marked up skin from previous nights of their tryst. 

The older felt like he was on fire every time Yeosang laid his fingers on him, even the subtlest touch shocked him on the inside.

“I wish I can mark you up too, darling.” Yeosang whispers as he whimpers when Seonghwa bites at the skin of his thighs 

“You know you can’t.” Seonghwa answers, licking the indent he left to soothe him of the pain before Yeosang told him to get back to what he was doing, unable to hear what Yeosang says next 

“I wish you could just be mine.” 

Things got more heated and Seonghwa had just retrieved a condom from Yeosang’s pockets, he was ready to tear it open with his teeth when another knock on his door startled both of them 

“Shit, get dressed.” he gives Yeosang one last kiss before fixing himself up, throwing the packet back at him, he was sure that no one was on his floor so he was unsure who could it be.

“Sweetheart, it’s just me!” Seonghwa felt like he got the wind knocked out of him as Yeosang situated himself on the couch as if nothing happened, he was completely dressed again, like a prim and proper prince, hands clasped together on his lap and holding an innocent expression as if he couldn’t hurt a fly.

“Go open the door for your husband, sweetheart.” he eggs, using Hongjoong’s pet name for Seonghwa.

Seonghwa lets out a deep breath as he turns the knob on the door, flinging it open “Baby, it’s late, what are you doing here?” he asks 

“Daddy! Hi!” Jongho hugs him, he was in a fluffy bear onesie with the hood on

“Jongie, it’s way past your bedtime, isn’t it?” he lifts him up from the ground, kissing his forehead.

“Oh Yeosang, you’re here too.” Hongjoong greets him as soon as he noticed him on the couch

“Hongjoong hyung, hello, it’s nice to see you again.” he greets cheerfully, standing up to be polite 

“I’m not interrupting something, right? I know Hwa’s been staying late to work.” he asks, embarrassed about his unannounced visit since he didn’t want to be an obstruction

“No, no! I was just checking in, monitoring to make sure Seonghwa uses good shots of me.” he jokes, looking at Seonghwa 

“As if you could take bad shots. Ah, if i had known you were here, I could’ve brought you dinner too.” he pouts while Yeosang shakes his head “It’s okay, I was just heading home, have a good night.” 

Once Yeosang leaves the room, they search for their little Jongho who was at the closet door “Dad! Did I get taller?” he asks, pressing his back on to the makeshift wall chart where Seonghwa had marked up everytime Jongho grew a foot 

“Ah, you did! You’re growing up so fast, little bug.” Seonghwa chirps, retrieving a marker and drawing another line, Jongho was ecstatic to see how much he grew and clapped at the progress.

“Gonna be as tall as you.” he cheers and Seonghwa kisses his nose “You will be but you have to sleep early to do so.” he teases, bringing him back to Hongjoong who was eating what he brought along, inviting his husband to eat with him.

“So, how are the photos coming along?” he asks “Pretty okay, almost finished, just gonna go through the last handful.” Hongjoong nods, telling him that’s good before opting to suggest something 

“Maybe when you have some free time, we can go to Japan for a vacation, I’m sure Jongie here misses Disneyland.” he says softly, pointing at Jongho who was eating some gummies on the couch who immediately perked up upon hearing it 

“Can we daddy? Can we go back to Disneyland?” he pipes up, jumping up onto his feet as he runs toward him and climbing on his lap, showing him his best puppy dog eyes which they are sure he learned from spending time with Yunho 

“We’ll see, baby, when daddy has the time, papa and I are taking you back there.”


	5. Chapter 5

Hongjoong feels the rays of sunlight seep through their curtains, hitting his face delicately, he opens one eye and he was met with his husband, the soft sunlight hitting his skin quite beautifully if he may add

“Good morning, Love.” he whispers towards Seonghwa who was still sleeping like a baby, coming home late from a meeting on the previous night. 

“I love you.” he kisses his forehead before swinging his legs to the side of his bed.

He stretches his body out as his muscles were feeling a bit strained because he was working on reforming one of Jongho’s clothes because his little bear deemed it boring and demand that his papa should fix it for him.

The little one helped at first but it turned into quite a mess and Hongjoong just tells him to sit this one out and he'll do the work. 

It was only 8:45 in the morning and it was the weekend but he has always been an early riser as he's gotten to doing his own husband duties and responsibilities in their home at such an early hour.

It was Seonghwa’s day off so he might suggest that they go to the park to have a picnic as they could all use the fresh air.

Maybe go for a walk to stretch their legs while they talk about anything and everything and let Jongho tire himself out by playing in the playgrounds along with other kids. 

He made his way to his son's bedroom and there he sees their little boy was almost hanging off the bed, he was always so mobile even in his sleep yet he is unable to notice as he was a deep sleeper at times.

He hums to himself before opening his curtains, letting the sunshine in and putting Jongho back in a comfortable position where he wouldn't strain his neck but this seemed to wake him up as he lets out a little whine in Hongjoong's arms.

“Good morning baby,” he runs his hand on his thick hair which Jongho responded to by pushing his hand away.

A grimace still in his face as he gets hold of a pillow and hugging it, burying his face into it to block out the bright sun.

“Baby, it’s papa,” he chuckles, tickling his tummy knowing that Jongho always wakes up from it

“Papa?” he mumbles, voice a little muffled due to the pillow

“Yes baby, it’s me.” Hongjoong smiled, feeling his heart swell when his son gets up, eyes still closed but clambering up into his lap, it was a normal occurrence whenever he wakes up Jongho but it was always the little moments that were special to Hongjoong.

“Breakfast?” he asks in a small voice

“Yes baby, how about we make your favorite breakfast and if daddy is okay with it, we can go to the park.” Jongho nods, still dozing off from having just woken up 

“Jongie help.” he claims, Hongjoong knew his baby is still tired but he also knows that Jongho will have a fit if he’s not involved in making their weekend breakfast because he loved picking at the ingredients, especially the fruits, always snacking on the fresh berries that Hongjoong leaves in front of him to occupy him while he cooks.

He sits him down on the high chair on their counter just to make sure Jongho doesn't doze off and fall, he takes out his favorite cereal, pouring him a serve so he can get some energy while waiting for his waffles

“Thank you!” Jongho made a kiss noise that made Hongjoong laugh as he took out the ingredients he needed, not forgetting about the fruits for Jongho, putting it next to his bowl of cereal.

While Hongjoong was getting busy in the kitchen, Seonghwa was starting to wake up due to the endless ringing of his phone, he rolled over to his side of the bed with a scowl on his face

“Park Seonghwa speaking.” he answered it without seeing the caller ID 

“Good morning to you too, why so formal? Shit, is Hongjoong with you?” Yeosang’s deep voice was on the other side of the line, a little panicked but Seonghwa hushes him

“Ah shit, no, I'm alone, I just woke up, did you miss me already?” he asks with a teasing tone at such an early hour but he made it sure that his voice was low enough so no one would hear him nor decipher what he had just said.

“What if I do? But I just want to tell you that I had a good time last night, the place we went to was great, quite different from just hanging out at my place.” the younger man says while Seonghwa got up 

“I’m glad, I did too. Maybe we can go back soon, after the launch of the magazine spread as well as your interview.” Seonghwa assures him, hearing how Yeosang sputters on the other side of the line

“Really?!” Seonghwa chuckles at how excited he got “Yes, really. I gotta get off now, see you in a bit?” Seonghwa was about to hang up but Yeosang had one more thing to say 

“Better hurry then, I may or may not be wearing something you gave underneath my silk robe.”

Yeosang whispers the last part and Seonghwa chokes on his saliva at the thought of Yeosang wearing the the white lacy lingerie he'd gotten him as a welcoming present. 

“I’ll call you when I’m on my way up to your place, just get ready for me little dove.” Seonghwa hangs up, putting his phone back on the nightstand as he heads straight to their bathroom to get ready.

The sound of Seonghwa’s footsteps descending down the stairs caused Hongjoong to become a little giddy, albeit a bit excited to spend the day with his husband and son. 

“Good morning!” he greets, he was in the middle of pouring out the chocolate syrup for Jongho’s waffles 

“Are you going somewhere? If so, you should sit down and eat before you go, Jongie helped.” Jongho nods proudly while his cheeks are filled with milk.

“I wish I could but I have to get to work, I’ll see you tonight, yeah? Love you both!”

And with that Seonghwa races out of their home, even forgetting to give them their goodbye kiss and Hongjoong’s smile slowly faded as his plans ended up getting sidetracked.

He tells himself that he shouldn't have been so excited, knowing how busy Seonghwa is but he wipes the look of sadness in his face and he smiles at Jongho, patting the top of his head

“Well Jongie, it looks like it’s just you and I for today.”

⚝──⭒─⭑─⭒──⚝

It was around lunch time when Hongjoong notices a new car that was parked right across their place, it was at the house that their neighbor had recently moved out of and he figures someone has finally moved in.

He gets up from his spot on the couch, getting on his knees as he peered his head out of the window to see a glimpse their new neighbor. 

And there he sees a young couple coming out of the car.

They were perhaps around their age and it reminded him of the time when he and Seonghwa first moved into the neighborhood to have a bigger space in terms of raising Jongho.

With their little apartment was getting a bit to stuffy, especially since Jongho was becoming rambunctious and Hongjoong didn't want to risk him getting hurt in their old place due to the enclosed spaces.

“Jongie, I think we have new neighbors.” Jongho looks up from the floor, leaving his toys on the ground as he follows his papa’s actions, clambering up the couch next to him and peeking out of the window.

With Hongjoong holding him by the back of his clothes of course, since he didn't want him to accidentally slip out.

“Hello!” he hollers, waving both of his hands and the yellow haired man turned toward their direction, slapping his partner who had his back turned against them so he would see them too and they waved at the father and son with smiles on their faces.

“Papa, let’s go to them!” Jongho tugged at Hongjoong’s shirt as he jumped off the couch

“Okay baby, come on.” he held his hand, helping him wear his slippers and they walked out of the door.

“Hello.” the brunette waved both of his hands “Are you going to be moving in here?” Hongjoong asks politely

“Oh yes! Seems like a good place to raise a family.” the brunette answered while yellow haired one was busy ogling over how cute Jongho is 

“What’s his name? What is your name?” the yellow haired one asks, feeling impolite as he stood up straight to face Hongjoong again

“I’m Hongjoong and this is my son, Jongho.” he introduces himself and the brunette scrunches his brows up

“Hongjoong, your name is familiar, your face as well,” he raises his brow as he thinks of who he is and by the looks of it, he was really trying to recall where he's heard the name and the yellow haired one playfully slaps him, chuckling 

“You know a lot of people, Binnie," he comments before placing a hand on his chest

"I’m Yeonjun by the way and this is Soobin, we just got married.” he happily shows the ring on his finger and it made Hongjoong claps his small hands

“Aw, congratulations, we’ve lived here for-” 

“Kim Hongjoong from the campus radio!” Soobin yells, snapping his fingers upon figuring out who he is which made everyone jump a bit at the suddenness

“Oh, you still remember that.” he smiled sheepishly, composing himself from getting surprised as he follows them inside their new home. 

“Of course I do! I listened to it religiously at night that I got so sad when you said you had to leave the program, by the way, are you still with Park Seonghwa?”

Hongjoong doesn't answer with words but rather he just shows him the wedding ring making Soobin gasp, eyes widening in surprise

“Oh wow, you guys were serious when you said you’re staying together forever.” Yeonjun felt a bit left out as he helped Jongho on the couch 

“Who’s staying together forever?” he asks, eyes turning towards Hongjoong

“Hongjoong and his husband, can you believe that they’ve been together since they were in high school?” Yeonjun whistles as he lets out a soft _"wow"_ and Hongjoong blushes

“Yeah, we’ve been together since we were 15.” he confirms

“And he’s becoming one of the huge names in terms of photography, isn’t he?” he nods again and Jongho gets on his lap, situating himself there as his new found friends uncovered their love seat and taking a seat as well.

“Park Seonghwa, he’s working with Kang Yeosang, right?” Yeonjun comments, keeping the conversation on track while Soobin ordered some food, claiming they haven’t eaten yet since they were busy packing the remainder of their belongings that morning.

“Yeah, he is and that’s why he’s been so busy lately.” Hongjoong answers

“With Yeosang’s success, I highly believe that it’d bring the company’s name out into the mainstream media, Seonghwa’s name has been flying around lately, some models always praise his work ethic and always choose him when being asked who they would love to work with.”

Hongjoong smiles at the thought of his husband’s work being praised, recognized, and respected as it's all Seonghwa ever worked for, to strive for success.

“However, I don’t want to be that person but keep an eye out on him,” Soobin juts back into the conversation and Hongjoong furrows his brows

“How so?” it gave him flashbacks to the night where Wooyoung also said the same thing.

“Well, Yeosang is quite an alluring model, everyone loves him and he knows it, he gets whatever he wants, Yeonjun here has worked with him a number of times so he knows some stuff about him.”

Hongjoong’s lips form into an _“o”_ shape as he listens to what they have to say, giving him a chance, much like he did with Wooyoung.

“I used to be one of the stylists assigned to him and he always has these little flings with other models, I’m not sure if they’re short term or long term, news always spread like wildfire in the workplace but he never really cared as he always denied such claims even though he’s been caught.” Yeonjun relays but Soobin lightens up the mood, not wanting everything to grow awkward and heavy

“Honey, I’m sure that he’s not like that anymore, I mean, you haven’t been working with him for almost a year now, right? People can still change and he’s still young.” he says and Yeonjun reluctantly agrees 

“Have you met him?” he asks Hongjoong who nods

“Yes, a handful of times, he’s very sweet and quite respectful if I may add.” Hongjoong answers truthfully, well, he's only met Yeosang once and he was a little tipsy but nonetheless the way he talked to him was okay.

Yeonjun looks like he was about to say something about who Yeosang is on the inside but Soobin pinches him to make him quiet as he didn’t want Hongjoong to stress out.

“I doubt that anything bad will happen, I’ve always seen how you and Seonghwa were back in our college days, all lovey dovey and making everyone feel single.” Soobin teases making Hongjoong blush in embarrassment and telling him to stop 

“My friends have mentioned some stuff about Yeosang, much like what you've said but at the same time they've known Seonghwa for some time and know that he wouldn't dare go behind my back."


	6. Chapter 6

It was the day before the launch of Yeosang’s first project that he’d worked alongside Seonghwa, most of Seonghwa’s team as well as Yeosang’s were huddled up in the conference room to watch one of his guesting for an in-depth interview

Not only did they discuss and clear up what had happened in his previous agency but they’ve also talked about what could his future possibly hold as he’d expressed in the interview that he will be able to do more projects since there is nothing holding him back anymore, he would be able to choose what to accept and what to decline.

Yeosang had his fingers in his mouth, biting at them, feeling a bit nervous as they watched the huge t.v. screen mounted on the wall

“I’m surprised to see you all nervous and stuff.” Yunho comments as he turns up the volume and Yeosang chuckles in a breathy manner

“It’s my first time being able to be honest so I’m anxious what people would think of me.” he answers while another staff member assured him that everyone will still be behind him as he’s always been labeled by the netizens as _“The Nation’s Sweetheart”_

As everyone turned their attention to the screen, Seonghwa slid his hand on Yeosang’s thigh under the table, concealed from everyone’s eyes

“You did so well, I’m proud of you.” Seonghwa whispers, squeezing his thigh reassuringly.

Yeosang shows him a small smile before he turns his attention back to the screen to make sure that nothing gets twisted and taken out of context that can become the topic of the media as well as people online.

Yeosang felt like he could finally breathe after it finished, he stood up from the table

“Oh God, that was scarier than my first time walking down the runway.” he huffs, earning a chorus of laughter from everyone

“We knew you’d do so well Sangie.” one of his stylists praises before she gives him a tight hug

“You were so articulate and intelligent with your words, I can’t wait for more offers to come.” his new manager spoke, patting his back as if to tell him that he did a good job

“Thank you Noona, I will make sure to work hard once that happens.” he crosses his fingers as laughter escaped his lips, unable to keep his happiness on the inside

“But don’t just celebrate me, you all did your hard work too!” he cheers before looking at Seonghwa

“And if it weren’t for Hwa, I wouldn't be here, so thank you so much for giving me a chance, I will work harder so it doesn’t go to waste.” Seonghwa’s lips tugged into a smile as the staff applauded him too but his eyes were just onto Yeosang.

“Definitely celebrating this Saturday night, right guys?” Yunho hypes up and everyone agrees as it has become tradition in their team to go out drinking after an exhausting yet successful project.

“We’ll see Yunho but it’s a possibility as everyone worked so hard.” Seonghwa thanks everyone before giving them the go signal that they can leave, claiming that everyone deserved to get some much needed rest.

As the people piled out of the room, all who were left were Seonghwa and Yeosang, the younger took the liberty of locking the door and pulling the blinds down, dimming down the lights before approaching Seonghwa

“Are you going to give me a congratulatory gift?” he mused, pushing Seonghwa back into the seat and straddling him, Seonghwa immediately planted his hands on his petite waist, pushing the garment up to be able to feel his skin.

“What would you like, little dove?” he pressed down on his hip bones, hard enough that it would leave bruises in the shape of his fingerprints.

Yeosang smiles, leaning down and capturing Seonghwa’s lips while his hands found their way to unbutton his top and delicately running the tips of his cold fingers over his warm chest.

“Do whatever you want to me, right here, right now.” he whispers, his voice dropping and full of lust before biting on the skin of his neck but not enough to leave a mark that could be seen by Hongjoong.

“Fuck, pretty little dove.” Seonghwa groans, his hands travelling down to the back of his thighs, picking Yeosang up with ease and laying him down gently on the wooden table, simply not caring about the papers that were beneath him as all he wanted was to fuck his little mistress.

Seonghwa pulls off Yeosang’s top, leaving him bare and vulnerable beneath him, he sees how flushed he was even though it was dim

“Suck, mon chéri.” the ravenette’s fingertips dance on Yeosang’s cherry lips and the younger doesn’t hesitate as he opens them, swirling his tongue around them, coating them diligently.

Seonghwa pushes them deeper that it hits the back of his throat and Yeosang doesn’t do anything beside moan around them.

His eyes crossing at the multiple stimulus he was feeling as Seonghwa was grinding on him at the same time.

“Suck on them, Yeosang.” With his free hand, he starts to unbutton Yeosang’s pants, the younger was feeling too warm as he swiftly pushes them off with his own hands, making Seonghwa chuckle

“Quite needy, aren’t you?” Yeosang whines, looking up at Seonghwa with soft eyes as if he’s not sucking on his fingers

“You always are but I love that about you.” he was oozing with confidence as he finally pulls his fingers out of Yeosang’s mouth

He stares at him intently as he couldn’t believe how fucked out Yeosang already looked even though they haven’t even done anything remotely close to what they always do.

A moan rips out of Yeosang’s throat when he feels Seonghwa slips his fingers inside of his hole

“Quiet, little dove, wouldn’t want to get caught, hm?” he hums, caressing his face with his other hand

“Y-You’re not b-being fair, y-you’re teas-teasing.” he stutters as he grips on to the side of the table when Seonghwa moves his fingers at an agonizingly slow pace

“Oh little dove, I’m just making sure you’re all prepped.” the older smiles sweetly and Yeosang moves his hips just to get some tractions

“P-Please, S-Sangie’s been good.” he whimpers when Seonghwa stops him from moving by holding down on his hips, pressing on them firmly to pin him down on the table, limiting his movements.

“Yeosang, you need to be patient.” Yeosang can only glare at him, he was about to say something snarky when Seonghwa pulls his fingers out, leaving him to feel empty while he watched Seonghwa go through his pockets for a condom.

“Little dove, gonna be good for me?” Yeosang nods, letting out a soft mewl as he braces himself, Seonghwa wishes he could savor every inch of Yeosang, wishes that he can come up with some excuse to go home with him.

He parts Yeosang’s legs, tugging him to the edge of the table and making him wrap his legs around his waist as he slots himself between his legs, prodding his already sensitive hole with the tip of his cock

“C-Can you please stop teasing?” Yeosang almost screams at how he kept him on edge, Seonghwa raises a brow as he thrusts in without any warning, it made Yeosang gasp but Seonghwa wraps his hand around his throat.

“Fuck, you’re always so tight little dove.” he hisses, eyeing how Yeosang’s drool leaked out of the corner of his mouth, tongue lulled out as he lets out stuttered moans

“You’re all mine, right?” he questions, loosening his grip and Yeosang nods

“All you-yours, no one else’s.” he almost cries out as Seonghwa fucked into him without an ounce of mercy.

Yeosang always loved being fucked out of his mind, the pleasure is always so overwhelming that he would momentarily lose himself, Seonghwa was the only one who ever made him feel that way.

“H-Hwa, I g-gotta-” he cuts himself off with a moan as the sensation fills up the bottom of his stomach

“Just wait a little more, pretty.” Yeosang falls back into the table, reaching down to touch himself, only for his hand to get slapped away by Seonghwa

“You can’t-” they were pulled back into reality when Seonghwa’s ringtone for Hongjoong started going off.

He puts his hand over Yeosang’s mouth as he answers the call, not wanting Hongjoong to worry and call him multiple times if he missed this one.

“Hey Sweetheart!” he hears Hongjoong’s cheerful voice from the speaker

“Hey baby, what’s up?” Seonghwa asked nonchalantly as if he wasn’t drilling into Yeosang at that very moment, his eyes widen when the blonde cums untouched, spilling all over his stomach as he breathed heavily

“Hwa? You there?” Hongjoong repeats “Yes, sorry baby, I’m looking for something before I can go home.” he lies, biting on his bottom lip harshly as he pulls out of Yeosang.

The younger slides down on to the floor, taking the condom off and wrapping his petal-like lips around Seonghwa’s cock.

“I made your favorites for dinner and even managed to bake a vanilla cake with your favorite strawberry frosting. I can’t wait until you come home.” Seonghwa only hums in response as he feels himself getting close to his own orgasm

“Jongie is getting impatient so you better hurry up! I love you.” Hongjoong adds and Seonghwa says one last thing before hanging up 

“I’ll be home in a bit, I love you too.” Yeosang pretends not to hear him say those as he stares up at Seonghwa through his lashes before feeling the older’s cum fill his mouth, spilling all the way down to his throat.

Yeosang runs his fingers over the corner of his mouth where some had dribbled out, looking Seonghwa in the eyes as he brings them up to his lips, sucking on it cleanly like a lollipop.

“Was that a good enough gift, little dove?” he helps him up, sitting him down on the chair as he cleans him up

“It always is, darling.” Yeosang smiles hazily, leaning forward and giving Seonghwa a quick peck

“You should go home, your hubby is waiting.” 

Seonghwa managed to get the smell of sex off of him through dousing himself in cologne and checking if he had some accidental marks from Yeosang before he comes through their front door.

“Daddy!” Jongho runs towards him as soon as he gets inside

“Hello baby bear,” he bends down, kissing his forehead before carrying him

“Have you been behaving?” Jongho nods proudly and Hongjoong runs down the stairs

“Hwa! Congratulations! Everything seems to be a success and all the attention it's getting is positive.”

Hongjoong kisses his face over and over, earning a disgusted sound from Jongho who was basically sandwiched between them

“Papa, eat now?” he asks, rubbing his tummy and it made the couple laugh at his priorities.

“Of course baby, since Daddy is home now.” Hongjoong gives him a kiss too before skipping over to the dining room where he’d set everything up.

Their dinner was filled with positive energy, especially with Hongjoong praising Seonghwa non-stop and Jongho trying to jut in and also tell his daddy that he’s happy but also asking if they can go to Disneyland. 

Since Jongho didn’t have classes the next day because it was the release of their report cards, he got to stay up way past his bedtime, being squished between his parents as they watched a calming ghibli film.

Hongjoong had his head leaned on to Seonghwa’s shoulder as he held his hand, just relieved that his husband can finally spend time with them.

“I’ve missed you.” Hongjoong says as he closes their bedroom door after tucking Jongho in after a fulfilling night, he crawled on the bed, situating himself next to his husband, laying his head on his chest as he listens to Seonghwa’s heartbeat

“We should go somewhere soon, what do you think? Maybe to the beach house, I miss the beach so much.” he giggles to himself, lifting his head up to look at Seonghwa.

“I don’t know sweetheart, my schedule isn’t quite fixed yet.” he says, Hongjoong doesn’t respond as his playful side takes over

“How about we do something tonight, you’ve worked so hard,” Seonghwa was about to ask but Hongjoong straddles him

“Let me pleasure you tonight.” Hongjoong untied his sweatpants but the ravenette quickly grabbed his wrist, stopping him

“Not tonight Sweetheart, I’m a bit tired from work.” 

Hongjoong persisted “You don’t have to do anything, I can do all the work.” he flutters his eyes as he bucks his hips

“Hongjoong, please,” Seonghwa had a firm tone and Hongjoong looks down, cheeks turning red out of embarrassment as he gets off

“I’m sorry.” he says lowly, wrapping the comforter around himself and turning his back against his husband, a little shy about the ordeal

“I’m sorry Hwa, let’s just get some sleep for tonight, I love you.”


	7. Chapter 7

Seonghwa woke up to the feeling of soft kisses being planted on the crook of his neck and he opened one eye slowly, adjusting to the sunlight that seeped through the glass doors of the balcony.

“Good morning, little dove.” his voice was groggy from having just woke up, the taste of last night’s brandy still lingering on his tongue, he sighs softly at the feeling of delicate fingers tracing shapes into his torso

“Should I order breakfast?” the blonde kisses his cheek before sitting up, playing with the buttons of his shirt

“A little later, come here.” Yeosang smiles before diving back down into the bed with Seonghwa, letting the older wrap his arms around his waist as he pulls him flush against his body, warming each other up once more

“I wish we can stay like this all the time.” Yeosang mumbles, before locking their hands together, Seonghwa brings Yeosang’s hand up to his lips, kissing the back of it as they stare at the bright blue sky that awaits them.

“This is nice and all but I am hungry.” Yeosang pipes up, getting out of his hold and making Seonghwa chuckle, giving his little ass a spank that made Yeosang squeak

“Okay, go order room service, anything is fine.” Seonghwa says, getting up as well.

And he got a better view of Yeosang who looked absolutely delectable in the new clothes he’d gotten, he runs his fingers through his hair before breaking his stare and going through his phone which as expected has messages from Hongjoong.

**Blueberry Boy**

**Just letting you know that Woo and Sannie came over to stay for a few days.**

**Yeonjun and Soobin visited too.**

**I wish you could be here, it’s fun.**

**But you come home tonight!**

**2 weeks is too long, Jongie and I are picking you up at the airport tonight! Love you!**

**I’ll see you soon, okay? Love you too.**

Seonghwa taps on the photo that Hongjoong sent and he saves it but not long after Yeosang sees it and he gaps

“Is that Jongho?” Yeosang cooed, looking over his shoulder

“Yeah, would you like to meet him when we get home? I know you haven't really gotten the chance to.” Seonghwa asked, locking his phone and setting it aside.

“Of course, he seems like a sweet boy, maybe I can spoil him a bit and buy him all the toys he wants.” he says enthusiastically but Seonghwa shakes his head, telling him that they don’t get Jongho whatever he wants since they don’t want him to grow up spoiled, it made Yeosang pout and then he asks

“What about Hongjoong? Won’t Jongho tell him.” Before Seonghwa could answer, they were startled by the knock on the door and Yeosang excused himself as it was their breakfast. 

The young model puts the tray in the middle of the bed, immediately getting hold of the warm coffee to wake himself up and they continue their conversation.

“He’s a bit clingy when it comes to Hongjoong but I’ll see what I can do.” Seonghwa gives him a swift kiss, tasting some of the coffee that he just drank

“You could bring him to that outing we have, didn’t you say that you wanted to take him to have quality time.” he reminds and Seonghwa nods before picking at the food and eating

“I’m sure that Hongjoong will allow you to take him.”

The couple was walking under the Maltan sun, they weren’t that worried about people being able to recognize them since it was a much smaller place.

So they were free from the prying eyes of the media, even if it was for a short period of time.

Seonghwa had stopped by a jewelry store, opting to get something for Hongjoong before he comes home and Yeosang decides to drop the question

“What’s it like being married?” he asks while waiting for Seonghwa to answer after he had a pair of earrings get wrapped up

“Why the sudden question?” he jokes, getting another sales person to get him the diamond encrusted choker

“I don’t know, I just want to know what it’s like to get married at a young age.” he shrugs, just genuinely curious as to how Seonghwa managed to stay with Hongjoong since they were teenagers

“Well, the idea of getting married when we were young was quite a dream, I didn’t expect it to come too soon though but it happened.” he picks up the heavy jewelry before spinning Yeosang around, wrapping the glimmering piece around his neck

“For you to keep when we get home later.” he playfully kisses his neck before letting the sales person know that he will purchase it.

“If given the chance that we somehow met before all of that, would you have left Hongjoong to be with me?” 

At the end of the day Seonghwa and Yeosang had to go back to South Korea, of course they carefully calculated how they would get back home without it getting media coverage.

They had different flights as well as arriving in different airports so that there would be no suspicions if ever word gets out that about it.

“I’ll see you back home, little dove.” Seonghwa kissed his forehead before sending him off to his gate.

Yeosang spins on his heels, blowing a kiss to Seonghwa who went ahead to wait for his own flight to be announced.

⚝──⭒─⭑─⭒──⚝

After almost 16 hours in the airplane, he was finally back in Seoul and he was already missing Malta’s weather since it was a contrast to the warmth.

He was waiting for his luggage when his phone finally gained service again and Hongjoong’s texts finally came in.

**Blueberry Boy**

**Ahhhh! Little one fell asleep while waiting to go and pick you up.**

**I’m sorry Hwa, you know how he is when he’s cranky :(**

**Did you land already? I’m still awake, I had some wine and I have a surprise for you!!**

Seonghwa sighs as he books a ride, the airport was awfully quiet but then again his flight landed at 11 in the evening.

Whatever Hongjoong’s surprise is, it’s going to have to wait as he is tired and just wants to sleep, get his body clock back to normal before he goes back to work. 

Sleep was the only thing in Seonghwa’s mind throughout the whole ride and even as he stepped foot into their house but upon hearing Hongjoong’s giggly voice, he knew he wouldn’t be getting that.

“Hwa Hwa!” Hongjoong squeals, his footsteps padded on the floors as he lunged himself on to his husband, immediately kissing him countless of times

“Ew, you smell like icky airplane air.” he scrunches his nose as Seonghwa puts him down on the couch

“Missed you! Missed you! Missed you!” Hongjoong said in between kisses

“Don’t ever leave again.” he says in a whiny voice, still not letting go of him as he pouts

“It was for work baby but I missed you too, I even got something for you.” Seonghwa still holds a smile while Hongjoong got up on his lap, legs on each side as he straddles him

“Still, 2 weeks is far too long for you to be gone!” he crosses his arms, a pout forming on his wine-stained lips.

“I did say I have a surprise for you,” he takes Seonghwa’s hand, placing them over his chest, close to the buttons of his silky pink shirt

“Open.” he urges, bouncing on him a bit as he bit his bottom lip

“Joong, if it’s what I think it is, not tonight, please, I’m a bit tired from the flight.” Hongjoong swallowed the lump on his throat that had formed instantly

“O-Oh okay, I’m sorry.” he scratches the back of his neck before feeling Seonghwa kiss his cheek

“I love you.” he whispers before lifting him off his lap and setting him back down on the couch, getting upstairs to their room.

Hongjoong was left alone in his thoughts, he wraps his arms around his legs, keeping them close to his chest as he bit the inside of his cheeks, feeling some embarrassment wash over him.

It took Wooyoung and San a full week to convince him that he would look good in the lacy crop top that he made after they caught him.

Hongjoong blushingly explained that he just likes feeling pretty and in the end, he gets egged on by the couple to wear it and surprise Seonghwa. 

He sighs as he stared at the leftover wine inside the bottle, eyes turning dark as he downed the remaining contents like it was water

He didn’t care that it dribbled all the way down from his throat to his chest, getting his shirt wet in the process but he slams it down on the table as he begrudgingly gets up into their room. 

He pushed the door open and set his eyes upon Seonghwa who was on his phone, he was particularly feeling needy due to the separation.

He wasn’t used to Seonghwa being out of the country for more than a week and not to mention the lack of sexual intimacy between them over the past months.

“Seonghwa, plase, pretty please,” he whines, crawling under the covers and over Seonghwa’s body until the older peeks down at him

“Hongjoong, you’re drunk.” the blue haired boy shakes his head, he needed his husband

“Hwa, please? We have the time.” he pushes the comforter off him, letting it fall to the floor and he takes Seonghwa’s phone away, placing it on the bedside table

“Hongjoong.” Seonghwa’s tone became stern but Hongjoong just rolls his eyes

“Seonghwa.” Hongjoong mocks and before he knows it, Seonghwa flips them around, pinning the smaller down on the the bed.

But it doesn’t stop there as Seonghwa flips him once again, causing him to be on his stomach and he pushes his ass back at Seonghwa.

Internally Hongjoong felt as if he’s desperate but he didn’t care, he just wants Seonghwa’s hands on him.

The older shifts the bruising grip on his hips and up to the back of his shirt, ripping the delicate material in half and he was met with the lace top that was hidden underneath but of course that didn’t last long when he rips it off Hongjoong’s body

“You’re being so whiny tonight.” he pulls Hongjoong’s underwear down.

Giving him a spank which made Hongjoong whimper before he feels Seonghwa's hand on his shoulder, turning him on his back and he could see Hongjoong’s red cheeks, panting and grabbing on to him.

Seonghwa was about to reach from the drawer of their bedside table to get a bottle of lube to prep him but the younger stops him

“I-I already did it myself, just, please just fuck me Hwa.” Hongjoong pleads and Seonghwa didn’t need to be told twice as he lifts his leg up, throwing it over his shoulder and he sank his cock deeply into him, thrusting quite hard that it completely throws Hongjoong off.

He wasn’t used to rough sex but he’s noticed that Seonghwa did have some moments where he handled him roughly, it has become the reason why Hongjoong sometimes stops him but at that moment on, he didn’t care that it kind of hurt, he was just lost in the feeling.

“K-Kiss p-please?” Hongjoong whimpered, Seonghwa captured his lips, biting and sucking on it before pushing his tongue inside his warm mouth that tasted of wine.

By the way that Hongjoong was breathing and moaning, he knew he’d cums untouched.

“H-Hurts.” he places his hand on to Seonghwa’s hips as if pushing him out for a bit

“Slowly, please.” he asks “I’m sorry baby, I got you.” the ravenette hushed him, feeling a bit guilty for going too hard on his soft husband.

“I love you, I love you so much.” Seonghwa whispers, biting the lobe of his ear as he pushed himself even more deeper that it caused Hongjoong to raise his hips up and he lets out a deep sigh when he felt Seonghwa fill him up with his cum, making him shake a little at the sensation.

Hongjoong blinked his eyes multiple times as he feels Seonghwa drop on top of him, licking and biting on his neck, leaving hickeys on to his skin

“I’m sorry baby, I didn’t know what came over me.” he hears him say and Hongjoong just brushes his fingers through his hair

“It’s okay Hwa, I’m just happy you’re home.” he says in a tired voice

“I love you.''

With that he gives his husband a kiss on the crown of his head before falling asleep, contented and happy to have Seonghwas back home and in his arms.


	8. Chapter 8

Hongjoong’s legs were jittering as his stomach fluttered, filled with nervousness, he was fiddling with his fingers as the hair stylist was finishing up his hair

“Would you relax Hyung, I’m sure you’ll do great!” Yunho cheers on, coming in with a cup of iced tea for him as Hongjoong requested since his nerves were off the roof

“Right? He’s been shaking while we were doing his make-up even though we assured him that he will do great in front of the cameras."

It's been a little over 3 months since the announcement of Yeosang’s transfer to the company where Seonghwa is and it made his husband the most sought out photographer.

But everyone wanted to know about how he managed to built a name for himself when he first started out, how he balances his work life and home life and the question everyone wants to to know, what’s his life like with Hongjoong.

Initially the show requested for Jongho to be with them but Hongjoong declines this request immediately as he wants to keep Jongho out of the spotlight as much as possible, he wanted to give Jongho privacy since he is only a child.

Not to mention that Jongho only faces the cameras if it’s his parents behind them so it’d be no use to bring him out anyway.

“Ah, it’s because you aren’t used to being the center of attention?” Yunho massages his shoulders to ease up his tension, trying to pat his head but he was stopped by the stylist because he would mess up his hair.

“This’ll be the first time but since Seonghwa asked, I ought to give it a chance.” he explains, nibbling on his bottom lip

“I mean, it’s going to be great promo for your designs though.” the taller man points out, making Hongjoong chuckle a bit before he tells him that Seonghwa keeps wanting to see him since he was in a separate dressing room.

“Joongie, you in there?” they hear the door slightly open while Hongjoong was picking out his jewelry

“Mr. Park, you shouldn’t be here!” one of the make-up artists tries to close the door on him

“Oh come on! I just want to see Joong before we go live!” Yunho leaves Hongjoong to continue getting ready and he faces Seonghwa, he is tall and broad enough to cover up the smaller man from behind

“Hwa Hyung, you have to wait like the rest of the crew! I know everyone’s excited to see your husband but you need to wait.” he shoos him away, well, more like push him back into the hall and shut the door behind him, locking it shut so he would stop trying to get in

“Tell him that I'm excited to see him by the way and not to worry so much!”

“God, that husband of yours!” Yunho playfully scolds Hongjoong who was finished by now, taking a sip of his tea just to refresh himself before he bashfully says

“Reminds me of our wedding day to be honest.”

Seonghwa was pacing around the studio as he waited for Hongjoong to come out, he was giddy since it was going to be the first time that they will be together in front of the camera, after years and years of everyone trying to get hold of him, this was the first time Hongjoong agreed.

“Places, places, please, oh and Mr. Park, he’s coming out in a bit.” the production manager informs and he nods, taking a seat adjacent to the interviewer.

“Oh wow, that’s him.” he hears the technical staff whisper while he was hooking him up with a mic and Seonghwa looks up as well, it was like the first time he saw Hongjoong walk down the aisle when they got married where he felt like he’s the luckiest man in the world.

Hongjoong was basically glowing, his blue hair was tousled and curly, he had a nervous smile on his face as he walked along with one of the production staff, listening to what seemed to be instructions before he was getting a mic hooked up to him as well.

The audience erupt in murmurs when they finally see the man that Seonghwa has been whipped for all these years.

“Hongjoong-ssi, I’m Yeji and it’s a pleasure to meet you and it's quite an honor to be able to interview you as well.”

The woman greeted, bowing politely and Hongjoong does the same before he hops on to the seat next to Seonghwa where he felt his hand immediately getting held

“No need to be nervous, baby, I’m sure you will do great.” he gives him a kiss on the cheek before it was announced that they will be starting.

Hongjoong lets out a deep breath and the cameras start rolling, judging from the lights that turned on, he just tries to block out the fact that there were people watching so he could focus on not stumbling with his words as the interviewer introduced their guest for that day.

“So, it is quite a pleasure to finally get an interview from you,” she smiles warmly to ease up Hongjoong’s anxiety

“So we’ve scoured the social media pages and the most asked question about your relationship has always been, why Hongjoong has never shared the spotlight with his husband, so please, let us know.''

The question was directed towards Hongjoong and he feels Seonghwa gently rub the small of his back before whispering to go on

“Well, you could say that I value my personal life, especially since we have a child, I’ve never really wanted anyone to meddle with that and try to berate me on how to raise him since he's ours and we know what is best for him.”

He further explains that the public instagram he has is mainly for business purposes where he only posts the clothes he’s working on and at times it features Jongho wearing them but he makes sure that his face doesn't get get shown.

His voice was noticeably shaky at the first few words but everyone told him it’s okay since it was his first interview.

“What do you think about this Seonghwa, seeing as you also have a very public instagram account for your work.” she chuckles and Hongjoong was a little relieved that it was his husband’s turn to answer

“Ah, it’s hard to photograph him because he knows I will post it online, every time I sneak up on him to take his photo, he finds ways to cover his face but I still post them because it’s gives people who follow my work a sliver of what my home life is and who I come home to everyday.”

He looks at Hongjoong with soft eyes and the blue haired man shows him a sheepish smile before giggling as they flashed some of the said photos.

Most of them were stolen ones where he had his head down while reforming his clothes and some were the ones where he’d intentionally covered his face after he catches Seonghwa behind the camera and even the ones where he's with Jongho but he always finds interesting ways to cover his little boy.

“What was it that made you agree to do this interview though? We’ve heard for a while that you’ve always turned them down.” Hongjoong hums before looking at Seonghwa, cupping his chin and squishing his cheeks with his small hand

“My husband here is very persuasive and for the past week or so, he was just clinging to me while I try to do housework and he wouldn’t let me be until I said yes.” 

Everyone laughed at how silly and cute the couple was and Hongjoong was starting to become more at ease, loosening up by now as he views it as talking to a new friend and they were just getting to know each other.

“Now the question that everyone wants to know, how long have you been together?” Hongjoong clears his throat as he decides to answer it.

While the audience as well as the cameras captured how Seonghwa looked at him, it was as if he had put the stars up in the sky, his lips were curled into a soft smile as he waited for Hongjoong to answer the question.

“Hwa and I met way back in high school, we were 15 then and since we are only months apart, we were in the same year. He would always watch me whenever I practiced playing the piano after school and he was quite a heartthrob then to be honest.” he chuckles, remembering how Seonghwa always got gifts during valentines day and was always voted as class president

“I don’t know what he saw in me but one day I started getting letters inside my locker.” This time Seonghwa hides his face because he knows the outcome of the story

“Care to tell them how I caught you?” Hongjoong smirks, knowing it always made him blush and he puts his hand down, his ears turning red

“Hongjoong had made it seem like he left the school grounds, I basically knew his schedule for his practices and I shoot my shot again, after a meeting with the student council, I went over to his section of lockers to slip in another letter,”

Hongjoong’s smile just got bigger and bigger as the story unfolds

“However after I finished slipping it in, just as I let out a sigh of relief, I heard someone whistle above me and there he was, one top of the row of lockers with the look of confusion on his face, how did you even get up there? I’ve never asked that.” Seonghwa questions his husband

“You see, there was a classroom in that row and I went inside, hiding until I heard someone come and I climbed up on the windows above it and I was so confused as to what Park Seonghwa was doing by my locker and I was more confused why he liked me, I still have his letters by the way but they are for my eyes only.” 

“So this would be your 11th year as a couple, what about marriage and how did your son come to your life.”

Seonghwa took the reigns on that question, relaying that Jongho came into their life early and unexpected but he was their motivation to work hard and to provide for him.

He explained that they had plans to get married after a few days but they ended up marrying after Jongho’s second birthday when they were 23 and right after that moving into a house of their own.

There were more questions that came upon them, mostly about what their plans were for the future, if they ever think about expanding their family which the couple answered truthfully but with some restraint as they didn't want to completely just tell them their life stories.

Towards the end, the interviewer took the opportunity to ask Hongjoong about his business, his various reformations and his own original designs for jewelry and clothes, asking him what his inspirations were and promoting it by showing the place as well as his online page and the designs that made Hongjoong smile proudly.

The shoot finally wrapped up , much to Hongjoong's relief because he felt like he was going to melt under the lights.

He hops off his seat, claiming that his legs were numb from the amount of time he was glued on to it, making Seonghwa chuckle before wrapping an arm around his shoulders and kissing his temple.

“I hope I did well for your first interview.” Yeji says approaching the couple

“Yes, you did well, it felt like I was talking to a friend.” he also thanks her for being respectful in terms of picking out the questions the public wanted to know.

“You did amazing, baby.” Seonghwa pecks Hongjoong’s forehead as they got back to the dressing rooms, Seonghwa didn't even want to change as he just followed Hongjoong to his assigned place.

However Hongjoong opt to take his make-up off to let his skin breathe and refresh it after being under the hot lights.

Seonghwa was more than willing to wait, even letting some of his staff go ahead of them because he knows that Hongjoong didn't need the extra coddling after the shoot.

He opens up a can of soda he got from the vending machine before taking hold of Hongjoong's phone to play some songs as it was way too quiet for his liking, he just sits back in the small couch provided, letting himself unwind while he waits for Hongjoong to come out of the bathroom.

“I was really nervous though, I hope I did well.” Hongjoong admits, drying his face gently with a towel before cuddling up to Seonghwa’s side when he finally sits down, taking hold of his own can of soda, just feeling incredibly thirsty after the event that just happened.

“You were a natural and you look so beautiful.” Seonghwa caresses his cheek

“It’s probably the make-up, the stylists did a good job.” he says but the older shakes his head

“You’re always beautiful Joong.”

He kisses the tip of his nose and a familiar song emanated from the phone and Hongjoong squeaks, standing up but also grabbing Seonghwa’s hands and pulling him to stand up as well

“Hwa, do you remember this song?" he asks with a smile and Seonghwa nods, smiling as well 

"How could I forget this, Joong?" Seonghwa placed his hands on Hongjoong’s waist while the shorter man wrapped his arms around his husband’s neck and it was only a matter of time before they were slowly dancing.

Hongjoong's giggles were bouncing on the walls as Seonghwa ends up letting him step on his toes to he can lead them and even sweeping him off his feet as he spins him around.

_“Tonight, I’ll send the glow of a firefly to somewhere near your window, it’s that I love you,”_

Hongjoong sang softly, leaning down and pressing his face onto Seonghwa’s chest, smelling Seonghwa's comforting cologne

_“I remember our first kiss, I close my eyes and whenever I can and go to the farthest place.”_

Seonghwa continues, relishing the memories they’ve created along the way as the interview somewhat brought them all back.

_“All the words in my heart, I can’t show them all to you but it’s that I love you.”_

Hongjoong hums along the sound of the piano, remembering he learned the song after a few of their dates with the intention to play it to Seonghwa and ask him afterwards to be his boyfriend

What he didn't know was that Seonghwa also learned the lyrics of the song with the plan to serenade him and finally ask him to be his boyfriend.

It was also the song they waltzed to during their wedding day, it was one of the most happiest moment in Hongjoong's life as he didn't expect to get married to the love of his life even after all the years they spent together.

Seonghwa gently pushes Hongjoong so he can look at him again, letting his feet get back on the floor and that's when their eyes connected.

Seonghwa can’t help but think that Hongjoong’s eyes held the galaxy, they were as deep as the dark abyss of space yet it always held the glimmer that could rival that of a thousand stars.

_“How can I be so lucky to have met you.”_


	9. Chapter 9

“I should go,” Hongjoong says, finishing up his breakfast and washing his dish “Someone’s stylist is coming over to see some pieces and some of the new pieces of jewelry are coming.” He dries his hands off before squishing Jongho’s cheeks, kissing his forehead and nose before letting him get back to eating since he will whine 

“I wish I could come with you, it sounds pretty fun and stress free.” he says as he hugs Seonghwa from behind, kissing his jaw

“I wish so too but hey, it’s a nice bonding moment for Jongie and I.” Hongjoong nods at Seonghwa’s statement, seeing as Jongho is growing up more and more around him rather than Seonghwa since he’s been busy lately and really wanted Jongho to be close to his daddy just like how he's close to his papa.

“Just be careful in terms of your activities, keep an eye on him if you go swimming, you know how he's still learning, oh and make sure he eats properly, not just sweets because knowing Yunho, he will sneak in some candy for him despite what we tell him and-” 

Seonghwa cuts him off by pecking his cheek, making Hongjoong blush at the realization that he was rambling instructions as if Seonghwa hasn't been with him while Jongho grew up.

“Baby, I got it, okay? I know what I’m doing, now go, I don’t want you to be late, I love you so much.” he gives Hongjoong’s lips a short kiss which Jongho squeak and cover his eyes while the couple laughs at his reaction. 

The blue haired man stands up straight, gliding over to to Jongho, prying his hands away from his eyes and peppering his chubby cheeks with kisses while the little one laughs 

“Be a good boy and don’t give daddy any headaches, okay?” he puts his pinky finger up and Jongho wraps his own small pinky around 

“Promise!” he beams before telling his papa that he loves him very much.

“I’ll see you on Monday then, San and Woo will most likely come over, as well as Soobin and Yeonjun, so you don’t have to worry about me, we’re gonna have some fun of our own, love you both.” 

And with that Hongjoong leaves their home, feeling some content at the thought that Jongho will be spending more time with his dad since it’s been a while. 

Although he wished he could come since it could be a great family bonding experience but he really couldn’t cancel his schedules because they were important even though he wanted to because family comes first, Seonghwa managed to tell him that it's a great opportunity for Hongjoong, to comply with his schedules because it would mean more people recognizing him and his brand.

It wasn’t long before they finished their breakfast and Seonghwa gives Jongho a bath before he showers, seeing as Jongho likes to play in the water for a fair amount of time and he didn’t want to get soaked if he gets ready first.

“Okay little bear, what would you like to wear?” he asks, going through his closet while Jongho was sat on the bed, wrapped in his bathrobe and a towel on his hair to avoid it from dripping anywhere  “Anything!” he cheers, showing off his gummy smile and it causes Seonghwa to coo. 

Jongho was expectedly excited upon hearing his dad say that he’s taking him to an outing, albeit a bit sad when he found out his papa couldn’t come but he was still excited especially since his other friends will be coming too.

He wasn’t as fussy when Seonghwa dressed him up and he takes him downstairs to watch cartoons while he gets ready as well and checks up on their stuff to make sure they have everything they need.

He made sure to have a bag of snacks for Jongho to snack on during the ride, keeping them next to his car seat and giving him his switch so he wouldn’t get bored along the way, even giving him a sick bag because he gets motion sickness when the drive is lengthy, he made sure that he was secured in place before they left the house because Hongjoong will berate him if he missed a door or a window.

“Hey bubs, someone is going to be riding with us so be on your best behavior.” Jongho nods “Am always good daddy!” he pipes up before turning his attention back to the game he was playing as Seonghwa drives through the traffic to pick up Yeosang who was waiting.

Seonghwa pulls up in the parking lot of Yeosang’s condominium and he sees the blonde by his own car, his bags on top of the trunk “Wait a bit Jongie, just gonna help out.” he says as he gets out, leaving the car on hazard as he approaches Yeosang.

“Finally, you’re here. Is Jongho with you?” he asks, putting his phone inside his pocket and getting hold of one of his bags 

“In the car, he’s preoccupied with a game.” he chuckles and Yeosang follows him to the car, getting inside the passenger’s seat while Seonghwa drops his belongings inside the trunk.

“Hello Jongie,” he greets the little one who tilts his head “Daddy who that?” he asks, craning his neck to look at his dad in the passenger seat 

“This is your Yeosang Hyung, he’ll be spending time with us during the drive and later as well.” Yeosang smiles at him, a smile in which Jongho returns as he waves at him

“Am Jongho.” he introduces and Yeosang nods “I know little one, your daddy told me a lot about you, are you excited? I heard your friends will be there too.” Jonho beams as he answers politely before getting back to playing, tuning out the adults’ conversation because it wasn't his place.

⚝──⭒─⭑─⭒──⚝

“Uncle Yunie!” Jongho runs as soon as he sees Yunho in the compound “Hi baby bear.” he squats down to catch the boy who was bouncing around as he ran 

“Miss Uncle Yunie.” he mumbles as Yunho gives him a kiss on the cheek “Are you hungry, little one?” he asks and the boy nods, patting his tummy and making him just gush at how adorable he is

“Okay, let’s go see if there’s something you can eat then.” Yunho pretends to nom on his cheeks which made Jongho squeal "I'll take care of him Hwa, how about you check out your room and relax, I know driving here is hell."

With Yunho getting hold of Jongho, Seonghwa sees it as an opportunity to secretly fool around with Yeosang, because he did miss his little dove. As soon as he sees Yeosang come up the stairs, already dressed in his comfortable clothes as his room was downstairs.

He grabs the model’s hand and pull him inside his room “Hey little dove.” Seonghwa flashes him a small smile, tucking a lock of hair that had fallen over his eyes despite it being tied up into a half bun.

Yeosang doesn’t say a word as he melts in Seonghwa’s arms, immediately wrapping his arms around his neck the older gives him a bunch of kisses making the younger giggle “Wait, someone could come in though.” Seonghwa laughs in between his kisses as he pulls away slightly 

“Come on, I know you like the idea of things getting rather risky.” he smirks before squeezing his ass, making Yeosang gasp, unable to say anything more and before he knows it, he was getting cornered into one of the dressers 

“That’s more like it.” Seonghwa smirks, before trailing down kisses from his neck to his chest, the stimulation making Yeosang moan wantonly, even more so when he feels his hands make their way underneath his shirt, teasing him further and he holds on to him even tighter. 

“We’re gonna get caught if you’re being loud, little dove.” Seonghwa gets back up to be levelled with his face, capturing his pretty lips once more and biting on them in the process 

“I really think we shouldn’t-”

“Daddy?” the freeze as they turned to the door where Jongho was standing with wide, confused eyes, tilting his head as his brows furrowed

“W-What are you doing?” he questions as his shaky eyes shifts between his father and Yeosang, the blonde has pushed past Seonghwa, going over to the edge of the bed as he didn’t know what to do because this wasn't something a child should be seeing.

Jongho was clearly confused because he knew this person was who he knew to be his hyung but why was he kissing his daddy in the way that his papa kissed him, was daddy going to replace his papa with his hyung? Is he still going to see his papa when he goes home? So many questions ran inside his mind as tears start to well up in his eyes at the fear that he won’t see his papa again.

“I-I want P-Papa,” he stutters, voice becoming watery as tears started to build up even more at the feeling of distress 

“Jong, it’s okay,” Seonghwa approaches his son “Daddy’s here,” he hushes, pulling him into a comforting hug, feeling his shirt getting wet from the tears that had spilled “B-But papa,” the little one’s voice was muffled

“Want go home.” he sobs, well, almost wails as he buries himself further into his dad.

“Sang, can you get his little bear,” the blonde follows, reaching out to retrieve the stuffed bear that was laid on the pillows but Jongho manages to hear this and he lashes out, breaking away from his dad’s hold, snatching the bear away from Yeosang 

“This is mine! Mine! From papa!” he screams, sticking his tongue out at the surprised Yeosang before turning his back, opting to leave the room in his raged state.

“Jongho!” Seonghwa calls out, getting hold of him and making him stop his tracks even though he tries to get out of his grip “That was uncalled behaviour, go apologize to your hyung.” it seemed as if a growl was forming in the back of the kid’s throat 

“No!” he spits and Yeosang comes in, patting Seonghwa’s shoulder “It’s okay Hwa, come on, let him be.” he says calmly while Seonghwa closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose as he turns back to Jongho who had a scowl on his face.

“Baby, I’ll let you off the hook, if you promise me that you won’t tell anyone about what you saw, especially not your papa.” Jongho avoided his gaze as a pout formed on his lips 

“Hwa, let him go.” Yeosang urges, taking Jongho’s hand and taking him away from Seonghwa and taking him out of the room but making sure no one was within earshot before kneeling down so he was leveled with his height.

“Go on and play little one,” he says with a small smile, cupping his chin and raising his head up 

“Go on, I’ll talk to your dad to get you out of trouble.” he has a little soft spot for children hence why he didn’t take offense to how he acted out and he knows how Seonghwa was starting to lack in terms of spending time with his son and he didn’t want Seonghwa's relationship with Jongho to be completely ruined.

“No more tears, little one, let’s go get some ice cream, yeah?” he wipes his tears away with the sleeve of his hoodie before picking him up and resting his weight on his hips as they make their way downstairs

“Hyung is sorry for touching your plushie but remember what your daddy said, okay?” he apologizes, bringing him to the kitchen where Yunho cuts his conversation with Chan at the sight of Jongho who had red eyes and cheeks, crying in Yeosang's arms

“Oh my baby, what happened?” he asks Yeosang, taking him away and Jongho immediately hugs Yunho like a koala

“He just misses Hongjoong, that’s all, I took him down here to have some ice cream.” Yeosang lies and Yunho rubs Jongho’s back, calming him down and going over to the fridge and getting him a strawberry flavored one and while that was happening.

Jongho sees Yeosang make put his index finger up to his lips and he just nods, thinking about what his daddy had said, to keep what he saw as a secret. 

“Jongie, how about you go play with Seungmin, he’s been looking for you since we got here.” he nods, eating his frozen treat as he runs outside to look for him.

Jongie! Was looking all over for you!” Seungmin says dramatically, waving his switch around in his hand as a means of showing it so they can play together 

“You okay Jongie?” he asks, eyebrows turning down when he notices that he’s been crying, silently eating his ice cream.

“Who hurt you? I’ll make them pay!'' The boy rages, clenching his fist “‘m okay, just miss my papa.” he lies when he remembers that his Yeosang Hyung said “Oh, it’s okay, we can-” 

“Boys! Come get your snacks!” They hear Seungmin’s dad call out “Let’s go see what we could eat Jongie.” he smiles, holding Jongho by the wrist and pulling him to the direction of where his dad’s voice came from.

As the day further progressed, Jongho didn’t look at his dad, not even once, even going so far into avoiding him during dinner time as he was basically sticking to Seungmin during the ordeal and even though he usually gets help washing up and getting ready for bed, he did it himself before his dad could even tell him.

He gets inside the bedroom which he was going to share with Seungmin, even though he was supposed to sleep in his dad’s room, he huddles up next to the older boy but as the night got deeper, he still felt restless, the sight of seeing Yeosang do something with his dad kept rewinding in his mind.

“Baby bear?” he hears his dad’s voice as he comes inside the room, he lays a hand on his shoulder but he doesn’t budge 

“Jongie, I know daddy was a bit hard on you earlier but I’m very sorry, okay? I promise I will make it up to you.” Jongho doesn’t say a word, just nodding, not even looking up at him 

“Daddy loves you so much, get some sleep, okay? If you can’t sleep, just come to my room. I love you.” he kisses his forehead, tucking him in for the night. 

This left the young boy still conflicted over the events that had happened that day even though it was something he shouldn’t be thinking about at his age.


	10. Chapter 10

Hongjoong found it a bit strange that Jongho somewhat started becoming clingier than usual, going with his dad was supposed to bring them both closer but it seemed as if the complete opposite happened. 

The little one would always peep in the couple’s bedroom whenever he hears his papa getting ready for work and he wouldn’t leave his spot, even if Seonghwa opts to take him to school, he always shakes his head and clambers towards Hongjoong, causing the blue haired man to tell Seonghwa to go ahead and he’ll be the one taking Jongho to school.

It was saturday morning and Hongjoong got up early since Seonghwa had another overseas business trip, he stretches his back out like a feline as he still felt the strain the previous night since he had rocked Jongho to sleep after having a bad dream, it took him a good hour to calm him down and eventually tuck him back to bed. 

“Hwa, get up, you have a flight in a few hours.” he says with a yawn, partially opening the windows to let the natural sunlight in and it makes Seonghwa groan, claiming that he doesn’t want to 

“Come on you big baby,” he walks over to his side of the bed, giving his pouty lips a few kisses to wake him up 

“Hm, little dove, you really know how to wake me up.” he smiles and Hongjoong tilts his head at the seemingly new nickname “Little dove? Wasn’t I a blueberry boy?” he giggles before pulling the covers off him 

“Little dove is a cute nickname but you have to get up. I’ll make you some coffee, Sweetheart.” 

Hongjoong gives him one final kiss before getting back up to his feet, hollering at him that if he doesn’t get his ass downstairs, he will drag him by the hair.

As the door shuts, Seonghwa shots up as he feels his heart pound upon realizing that he’d used the nickname he calls Yeosang on Hongjoong, he was still very much reminiscing his night with Yeosang that he’d forgotten he went home to Hongjoong.

After showering he came out with his luggage and sees Hongjoong washing his paint brushes and drying them as he had used them the night prior but didn’t get around to cleaning it but he immediately drops what he was doing upon seeing Seonghwa

“Hey, can I talk to you before you leave? It’s quite important.” the blue haired man asks, helping himself to some coffee, bringing it to the table along with his brushes and laying them down on a rag 

“What about?” Seonghwa asks, somewhat preparing himself for what he has to say in case Jongho told on him but with the way that Hongjoong was acting, he doubts that it had something to do with what Jongho saw.

“It’s about Jongho, I’m getting a bit worried, I’m sure you’ve noticed his behavior,” he says with a worried tone, his expression was very telling as well and Seonghwa internally lets out a sigh 

“I’m sure he just missed you Joongie, you know how he’s always with you and he probably wasn’t used to being away from you for a couple of days.” he explains, trying to see if Hongjoong buys it and by the looks of it, he did as the worried expression on his face to somewhat fade away as he nods, agreeing with what he suggested.

“You’re probably right, little one must have just missed being home, well, I don’t have much to do today so I will be taking him out to the park, I’m also meeting up with Minho and he’s bringing Hyunjin so they can have a playdate.” he informs, feeling somewhat excited that he has a day just to kick back and relax with his son and friend 

“Okay, just be careful and keep me updated about what goes on, I love you.”

Hongjoong was soaking in the sunlight that was coming through their window seat as he sketches on his pad, finally able to have some time to himself after preparing breakfast for Jongho as well as some food to take for their picnic, he was listening to some of the old music he’d produced, humming along with it and singing some of the lyrics.

“Papa?” he hears Jongho’s voice coming from the top of the stairs and he puts his sketchpad down 

“I’m downstairs baby, come here!” he hollers and he hears his rapid footsteps descending down, he stands up ready to give him his morning hugs and kisses. 

“Good morning baby.” he hugs him tightly and feels Jongho give him a big kiss on the cheek “Were you able to sleep well last night? Must have been a really bad dream.” Jongho nods, rubbing his eyes to wake himself up more 

“Bad dream, scary.” he spoke in pout as he sat in their dining area 

“Well, I hope papa was able to make them go away and I want my Jongie to have a good day today, so we are going for a picnic with your Uncle Minho and Hyunjin.” 

A smile instantly forms on his face as he asks if they were really going, with a light chuckle, Hongjoong confirms, pointing at the containers of food and drinks he’d prepared, Jongho just lights up even more and eats his breakfast while Hongjoong excuses himself to prepare his bubble bath.

It wasn’t long before they were in the park, there were a lot of people but who wouldn’t want to be outside on such a beautiful day?

Hongjoong immediately spots Minho underneath one of the large trees that would shade them from the sun and he was with Hyunjin who was playing around with a soccer ball

“Hey you, how have you been?” Minho asks, hugging Hongjoong while Hyungjin engulfs Jongho in a hug as well, towering over him a bit 

“Good, how about you and Hyunjin?” he asks, sitting down and plopping his belongings on the middle of the picnic blanket “We’re good, how about you two go play, Hyunjin has been whining about when you guys were arriving arrive.” 

Minho gives his own son a little push, Hongjoong does the same with Jongho but not without getting a kiss which Hongjoong didn’t hesitate to do 

“Don’t stray away from Hyunjin and be careful when climbing up the slides.” The kids both nod before running off to the playground.

“So, when are you gonna make a song for me to dance to?” Minho asks him playfully, taking out the food that he made to be shared between them 

“Oh Minho, you know I haven’t got the time to do so,” he reminds and the latter sighs “I’m literally recycling the ones you’ve posted on soundcloud, you really should get back to doing it.” he eggs, telling him that he shouldn’t just leave his music producing hobby behind 

“I would love to be your unofficial partner for your dance productions but I rarely get the time to be alone at home nor go to my old studio since I have to take care of Jongho because Seonghwa has been busy most of the time but I do have some unreleased tracks that I can let you listen to and pick out what you want.”

Minho thanks him, the dancer has always been a fan of his work, Hongjoong found one of his showcases where he used his song and it’s basically how they became friends.

They were listening to the said songs when Minho noticed that Jongho was standing at the edge of the playground, looking intently at them 

“Um, Joong, is there something going on with Jongho?” Minho asks, taking off his headphones as he gestures to him but once Hongjoong sets his eyes upon him, Jongho just waves at him and runs off again.

“That was- Did I miss something?” Hongjoong sighs as he keeps his headphones, putting them in his bag 

“I don’t know either, he’s been like this ever since he went on that trip with Seonghwa, he’s clingy but not like this.” he answers, opening a bottle of the homemade strawberry milk for himself and Minho 

“Maybe he’s just not used to you being away, Hyunjin was like that with me before and now the little monster doesn’t even want to get kisses when I drop him off at school.” 

“I get that but it’s the way he looks at me is just, it’s as if he’s watching me as if I’m going to disappear or something.” his heart truly aches since he couldn’t understand what his child is going through, he’s asked but he never answers 

“I’m sure it’s just normal behavior Joongie, remember that he is growing up.” Minho was worried as well but he had to keep his composure so Hongjoong doesn’t grow even more worried.

“He’s just very much used to being with you all the time, don’t worry, okay? It’s a natural behavior.” he assures and Hongjoong nods, wishing he could talk to Seonghwa more about it but it would have to wait until he comes back home as in all honesty, he wasn’t that satisfied with their talk that morning.

After a full day of being out under the gentle sun and breathing in fresh air, it was time to go home since the sun was starting to set, they had dinner all together first before they parted ways. 

Jongho was knocked out on the ride home, tired from all the activities they did and Hongjoong just used a washcloth to clean him up a bit, changing him into his pajamas and giving him a kiss goodnight before turning on his night light and leaving his bedroom.

This gave Hongjoong an ample amount time for himself, preparing a nice, hot bath just to get his mind off things. It’s been a long day, well, a long week and he was feeling the stress of it. 

From meetings with stylists, to doing customized clothing for clients, sending in designs for approval for the new jewelry and to top it off, making sure Jongho and his husband were well taken care of.

Part of him wants to call Seonghwa and ask him to come home but he didn’t want to be a nuisance and disrupt him.

“Papa,” he hears the faint voice of his little one from the other side of the door as well as soft knocks “Yes baby?” he calls out, barely able to close his eyes to soak in some energy while in the bath 

“Can’t sleep, can I sleep in your bed?” Hongjoong tells him to wait as he gets out of the tub, draining it and putting on a robe and when he opens the door, he sees Jongho looking up at him with watery eyes, clutching his bear tightly.

“Did you have a bad dream again, baby?” he asks, picking him up from the ground and hushing him as they make their way to the bedroom.

Hongjoong finally gets dressed in one of Seonghwa’s shirts as they were big on him and therefore more comfortable. He slips under the covers with his son who immediately nuzzles into him 

“Love you.” Jongho mumbles, Hongjoong hums a lullaby that he worked on when Jongho was just a baby, he hasn’t sung it to him in a while but by the looks of it, his little baby needed it. 

Jongho’s eyes started to flutter close, feeling like he was in his safe haven and he felt secure enough to go back to sleep. 

The blue haired man notices how the little boy held on to him tightly and he gives him a kiss on the crown of his head, whispering “Papa’s here to help you with whatever you’re feeling,” he holds his tiny hand, letting Jongho’s small and delicate fingers hold him as well 

“No sorrow can come here, I will protect you forever, you are my star, Jongho. I love you so much.”

⚝──⭒─⭑─⭒──⚝

Hongjoong felt his body feeling burnt out the next morning. 

He just woke up feeling incredibly shitty, every part of his body was sore and he felt like the whole world was spinning and when he got up, he immediately felt the need to throw up. 

Thankfully Jongho didn’t stir as he was very careless when he got up, racing to the bathroom before he could vomit. 

He feels the bile in his stomach rise up to the back of his throat and he empties out the contents, clutching his stomach as he heaves to get it out of his system. 

Tears stung his eyes as he felt his stomach tighten by how much he was heaving to get it out.

“Are you okay papa?” Jongho asks, rubbing his eyes and Hongjoong didn’t even notice him wake up 

“Just a bit sick Jongie, can you get on my phone and call your Soobin hyung for me.” Jongho nods, leaving his papa to give him some privacy. 

Hongjoong gets up on his feet, gargling some water and brushing his teeth, the dizziness somewhat subsided which he was thankful for and he goes back to the bedroom, seeing Jongho there talking on the phone.

“Binnie hyung is coming right away.” Jongho says, putting the phone down 

“Thank you baby, let’s get changed so we can head out right away.”

“Joong? I’m here, Jongho said you’re sick, what’s up with that? Are you okay?” Soobin asks, putting a hand on Hongjoong’s forehead while he was lying lazily on the couch, another wave of dizziness setting in 

“Oh, you’re running a fever, we should get you to the hospital, you look like you aren’t in the best shape.” he suggests, worried about him as he looked like he could barely even stand.

“Yeah, I think I need to.” Hongjoong admits and Soobin said that he’ll get the car ready while Hongjoong takes everything that he needs in case they hold him for further observations.

It took all of Hongjoong's willpower to not vomit in Soobin's car, he had the plan to let Jongho stay with Yeonjun as the latter was very keen on taking him in for the day while Hongjoong gets checked out but of course, Jongho didn't budge, wanting to be with his papa at all times.

His anxiety just built up as he sat in the hospital bed, he was hooked up to an I.V to lessen his nausea and to hydrate him.

Jongho was in the hospital’s play room to avoid being exposed to various sickness looming around the emergency room but Hongjoong was thankful that Soobin was there to accompany him as he wouldn’t know how to process it if he ever gets some instructions from the doctors.

“Good morning, how are we feeling today?” the attending doctor asks, closing the sliding doors to give them privacy 

“Better than I was earlier.” Hongjoong sighed “How have you been lately, is there anything to suggest that could have triggered what happened this morning?” she asks, letting him take his time to recall what he’s been doing while she checks his vitals and lab results 

“Just pure exhaustion if I’m being honest.” he laughs nervously and she puts her tablet down as she listens to him relay what the possible causes were.

“Well, your vitals are normal, same with your laboratory results, they were on the normal scale so this is the effects of stress, it has taken a toll on your body. So, I suggest you continue to get some rest once you get home, eat some hearty food to get your energy up and drink a lot of water because dehydration could also be a worry.” 

Hongjoong nods, listening intently as she prescribed medicine that would help lower his fever, telling him that he could be discharged once his I.V drip is empty which isn't long now and he takes the remaining time to get some much needed sleep.

Once he was cleared, they pick up Jongho from the playroom and he immediately hugs his papa 

“Gonna be okay?” he asks Soobin who picks him up to avoid Hongjoong from putting more strain to his body since he wasn't even fully recovered yet.

“He’s going to be okay, he needs to rest so you’re gonna have to stay with your Yeonjun Hyung and I.” Hongjoong lifts his head up from the receipts 

“Soobin, you don’t have-” 

“Hongjoong, it’s not a bother, just use the day to rest, we’ll keep an eye on Jongho for the day and once you’re okay by night time, we’ll bring him back to your place.” he persists, not taking a no for an answer and Hongjoong prevails, smiling weakly

“Thank you so much Soobin.” 

Again, he had the need to call his husband so he wouldn’t be alone and he’d have someone to take care of him just like the old days but he wouldn't want Seonghwa to worry, especially since he was overseas.


	11. Chapter 11

“I was uh- I was at the hospital the other day, I didn’t wanna tell you but Wooyoung told me I should, I didn’t want you to worry.” Seonghwa hears Hongjoong say through the phone and he straightens up a bit.

“When? Why? Did something happen?” he asks, he hears some shuffling on the other side as well as the sound of Hongoong sighing deeply.

“Hold on Hwa, Jongho is calling for me, I’ll be right back.” Hongjoong excuses himself which gave Seonghwa the time to look down at Yeosang who was on his knees

The blonde was looking up through his long lashes as he had his mouth full of his cock, he had a soft grip on the older’s thigh while Seonghwa was holding him by the hair, he pulls him up and Yeosang started coughing quite a bit since he’d deepthroated him.

“Little dove, hush, Hongjoong’s calling me, you wouldn’t want to get caught, right?” he cups his chin as he brings him up to his lap, sitting him down and tucking a lock of his hair behind his ear before wiping the drool that had dribbled down 

“I was only following what you told me to do,” he whispers as Seonghwa cleans him up but not without giving him ghostly touches on his inner thigh

“Is everything okay at home?” he asks in a hushed tone, just in case the husband comes back on the phone.

Yeosang was in relief that Seonghwa didn’t really notice how he suddenly somewhat got a little timid around him but ever since the incident with Jongho, he can’t help but feel somewhat bad as that was something his young eyes wasn’t supposed to see and not to mention Seonghwa mentioning his behavior.

Yeosang opt to try and distance himself, explaining to Seonghwa that maybe they should take it easy but Seonghwa assured him that he has everything under control.

“He’s feeling quite sick.” he answers as he moans softly when he presses his lips onto Yeosang’s jaw, nipping at his soft skin but he has to pull away once Hongjooong comes back on the line.

“I’m sorry, he’s getting ready for school and you know how he’s been, clingier than usual.” his husband informs all while Seonghwa closes his eyes, throwing his head back at the pure ecstasy as he puts his hands on Yeosang’s waist, making him move his hips a little.

“He’s always been clingy when it comes to you, Joong.” Seonghwa almost groans but prevents him from doing so by biting harshly on his bottom lip, throwing his head back.

“He is but this time it’s more than usual, he hasn’t been sleeping in his bedroom and he told me he’s scared that I’ll go away, so I really need to talk to you about this because it’s scaring the hell out of me, when are you coming home?” Hongjoong asked, he’s been asking almost every single day as to when he’s coming home.

Yeosang can’t help but look down, stopping his ministrations upon hearing the worried tone in Hongjoong’s voice from the phone’s speaker, feeling a tad guilty since he knew the reason as to why Jongho was the way he is.

“You know what Joong, I’ll be home later.” he huffs, obvious frustration laced in his voice and he hears a faint _“okay”_ on the other side of the line as well as a sigh

“I’m sorry for bothering you, I’m just worried, I’ll see you soon, I guess. I love you.” Hongjoong’s voice became smaller and smaller as he finished his sentence “Yeah, I love you too.” Seonghwa ends the call before throwing it aside.

“Where were we, Little dove?” he smiles as if nothing just happened before he puts his hand on the nape of Yeosang’s neck, playing with his long blonde hair, tangling them between his fingers and capturing his lips, swallowing the soft moan Yeosang lets out.

“Are you gonna go back home later?” Yeosang asks, pulling away for a moment while Seonghwa chased for his lips, he just wants his strawberry-flavored lips on his and savour them 

“I have to, since we weren’t originally supposed to be here for a longer amount of time.” he reminds, grazing the pad of his thumb on his stained lips which turned into a pout

“Well, we weren’t even supposed to be here but you insisted.” Yeosang reminds, since he has asked if they could take a break from seeing each other, just for a bit, like when he had to go overseas for his international work.

“Oh I wish I could come and watch you, I bet you’d look so beautiful walking down the runway.” Seonghwa says, changing the subject while he plays with the pendant of Yeosang’s necklace, twirling it around his fingers and by the looks of it Yeosang let it get in his head.

As if turning on like a light switch since Seonghwa knew he was a sucker for praise but what he doesn't know that it was a faux reaction as Yeosang knew what he was doing

“I wish so too, we can go to cafes and to the movies, see the places we always talked about.” Yeosang says with a small smile but on the inside he tells himself that all those things that he wanted too but he knows it will only stay as words, he knows it's far fetched.

The couple have been in Saipan for almost 2 weeks, their stay was originally just going to be for a week but their tryst extended as they were so caught up with each other that they barely kept track of the days as it dwindled down.

Hongjoong always reached out to him while he was away and as always Seonghwa tells him another lie. 

Lie after lie after lie, it’s been going on for a year that the lies he says to Hongjoong just flows out naturally.

They’ve gone out to dinner almost single night, even going to a club at one point where Seonghwa watched his lover dance like a butterfly before eventually joining him.

At times soaking up the sun on the beautiful beach before heading towards the sparkling water and they would wait for the sun set.

They talk about almost anything and everything when they are in their hotel room, sometimes up until the morning as it seems like they can never run out of things to tell each other. 

It was on one of those nights that Seonghwa realized the reason why he pursued Yeosang, as he thought about how he never really got to be with other people.

Tealizing over the years that Hongjoong was a person who kept to himself, passive, gentle and soft-spoken, he was the complete opposite of Yeosang.

when he met Yeosang, he felt like he was hit by lightning, he was fierce, confident, he wasn’t scared to speak up and at times he was unpredictable. 

He began to notice that whatever he’s done with Hongjoong was almost always limited and safe.

There were times that Seonghwa wanted to do something with Hongjoong but the younger would, at times, decline them as he always thinks about Jongho, his little one was his number one priority. 

He missed doing something different, he missed the days where he could do impulsive things with Hongjoong but they couldn’t really do that anymore, they weren’t teenagers anymore.

He felt selfish because when he’s with Yeosang because he feels free when he’s with him, he could do anything he wanted with Yeosang and in the moments he’s spent with him.

He momentarily forgets that he has a family of his own and part of him felt like he wasn’t really ready to get married and him and Hongjoong somewhat rushed into it.

⚝──⭒─⭑─⭒──⚝

While in a different country, Seonghwa was having the time of his life away from his husband. Hongjoong on the other hand just wanted to demolish a tank as he was almost confined in his home. 

Always running around and at times staying up late to finish a project or two, he’s been scolded so many times by his friends to calm down because he will get sick again but he just can’t help it because if he doesn’t distract himself his anxiety just rises.

He was taking care of his son alone while being sick, all while he still had no idea what’s up with Jongho. 

He was feeling so stressed out as he threw his phone on the bed, causing it to bounce off and land on the floor. 

“Papa?” he hears Jongho from the door, lugging his backpack and lunchbox as he was ready to leave “You okay?” he asks with concern in his eyes

“Yes baby, I’m okay.” Hongjoong lies, going over to the other side of the bed to pick his phone up before going over to him, crouching down to his level as he fixed his clothes 

“Papa crying.” Hongjoong feels his small hand on his cheek, he didn’t even realize that he had cried

“Not okay.” Jongho says, using his sleeve to pat them dry before kissing his cheeks as he always feels better when his papa gives him kisses and maybe his papa will feel better if he gives him kisses too.

“I’m okay now Baby, let’s get to school, okay?” Jongho nods, holding his hand as they went down the stairs.

Hongjoong didn’t have much to do that day apart from polishing the last project he’d been working on from a customization.

Seonghwa was coming home so perhaps he would cook something too, as the thought of his husband coming home could give him a little break from taking charge in the house.

“Papa, want you to meet my new teacher!” Jongho surprisingly pipes up when they are on their way inside his school, he always makes sure that Jongho gets to his classroom hence why he always walks him inside. 

Seonghwa would call it coddling but Hongjoong just ignores it, telling him that Jongho is only a baby once and soon enough he will grow up with the will to become independent, so he’s just taking his time while he can still carry Jongho in his arms.

His sudden enthusiasm was like a ball of relief since he’s been so worried about Jongho being all quiet and clingy for an unknown reason but seeing him light up like that brought some ease to him.

Hongjoong greets the other parents who were dropping off their own children and he helps him get his jacket off and stow his backpack into their little cubby hole

“You must be Hongjoong,” he jumps at the voice behind him all while Jongho smiles widely “Mingi Hyung!” the boy chirps, immediately going over to him and hugging his legs 

“Papa, this Mingi Hyung!” he points up at him for a moment before Hongjoong stands back up

“Yeah, I’m Hongjoong and you are?” he asks the unnamed redhead 

“I’m Mingi, I teach music for the other grades.” he explains with a contagious smile, the kind that made his eyes crinkle into little crescents

“He talks an awful lot about you if I’m being honest, I grew curious if he was talking about the Hongjoong I knew from soundcloud.” the shorter of the two blushes once his music was brought up again 

“That old thing, I don’t really make music anymore so the account is stagnant.” he smiles sheepishly

“Oh so it is you.” Mingi confirms, chuckling a bit making Hongjoong scratch the back of his neck as he nods.

Jongho tugs at his shirt, causing Hongjoong to take his attention away from Mingi as the young boy asks for his goodbye kiss before he goes inside their classroom 

“Oh, sorry baby, have a good day, I love you.” 

“So, Mingi-ssi, how did my son come to meet you, since you teach a different grade.” Hongjoong asks, walking out to the hall with the teacher, the redhead claimed he had to get some supplies in his car

“Oh, I’m actually filling in for their writing classes since their teacher is on maternity leave and I was more than willing to fill in for her for the next few months, I do have to apologize since I almost made him cry while I was getting the class to introduce themselves, I didn’t know he was a shy one and he just hugged me out of nowhere and cried for a bit.” Hongjoong sighed, feeling a tad embarrassed 

“He didn’t give you a hard time, didn’t he? He’s just going through something but he’s not normally as shy.” Mingi shakes his head, opening the door for him as they make their way outside 

“No, of course not, it’s part of our job as teachers to make students feel safe in school, don’t worry about it.” The redhead assures 

“He’s been going to the music room during their breaks, he’d strum on one of the guitars’s and try to play. I found him there once and he said he wants to play too because of you.” Hongjoong smiles at the thought that Jongho wanted to be a musician too. 

“I kind of connected the dots when he said that he’d like to be like you,” Mingi continues

“I was handed a list of the parents’ contacts for emergency purposes, I saw your name, wondered if you were Hongjoong from soundcloud but I had more of an inkling when Jongho mentioned your music stuff.” he chuckles as he stops at his own car

“I highly encourage you to enhance his talent for music, it’s good to start young.” he adds and Hongjoong hums

“I will, thank you for telling me, I didn’t really have a clue that he’s been picking up on music but I will surely be supportive of it.” Mingi nods, telling him it wasn’t a problem before they part ways.

Playfully apologizing to Mingi for taking a little bit of his time since they talked but Mingi says it was okay and class doesn’t officially start until the next 15 minutes.

Mingi bids him to have a safe drive as well as a nice day and Hongjoong, with a smile, tells him to have a nice day as well.

While walking back to his car, he ponders to those days where he could freely make music, he had his path set upon becoming a producer as well as a lyricist but he had to put it on hold.

Even though his plans got diverted, he had zero regrets when he decided to put his dream aside. 

And even if he would have the ability to turn back time, back to his life before Jongho came along. He would never do it as he will always choose to have Jongho in his life. He will always put Jongho over everything.

He will always choose his son in a heartbeat.


	12. Chapter 12

Hongjoong had Jongho’s hand in his as they walked to where his old music studio used to be, it wasn’t a company but rather a school that specialized in teaching music.

But not only that, it also acted as a space where independent creators somewhat get together, where they were given a studio to make their craft. And back in Hongjoong’s days they had some successful underground producers come as mentors at times and there were some who would refer others to companies who are in need of fresh, young producers.

Most of his friends in the school had kept his studio intact, no one had dared to touch his room as they kept it as it is for when Hongjoong comes back.

“Are you nervous, baby bear?” Jongho shakes his head, the smile on his face hasn’t really left ever since he picked him up from school. Surprising him by letting him know that he’ll be learning ever more about music.

Throughout the car ride and even as they walked to the place, Jongho was raving about how he’s going to tell his Mingi Hyung about it which just made Hongjoong laugh, telling him that he should.

“Am I gonna meet new friends there?” Jongho asks, rocking on his heels while they waited for someone to show up in the reception area.

“Joong! It’s you!” Jongho jumped at the voice while Hongjoong broke into laughter when he was face to face with Jisung, approaching his old _“classmate”_ and before he knows it, he was engulfed in a tight hug

“I haven’t seen you in so long!” he gushes, spinning him around basically while Jongho just watched, waiting to be acknowledged as well

“Oh, is this Jongho? He’s gotten so big now!” Jisung stuck his hand out and Jongho holds it while the older gives it a little shake

“I’m your Jisung Hyung, I’m happy to see you again, the last time I saw you was when you were a tiny baby.” he coos, pinching his cheeks and making Jongho giggle as well, he looks at his papa for a moment and when he nods, he deems his Jisung Hyung as someone he can trust.

“Is Younghyun Hyung still teaching guitar?” Jisung nodded and he connected the dots “Oh, is Jongie going to start playing the guitar?” Hongjoong answers that he is and Jisung clapped his hands, getting just as excited as Jongho

“Let’s go take him to the kids’ classroom then, we can sit him down just to get a gist of the classes and let him mingle too.” Hongjoong takes Jongho’s hand again and they walked down the halls where some of the studios were, Jongho was in awe at all the pretty designs on the doors and he squeaks

“Papa, that’s your name!” he pointed at one of the doors that was spray painted with vibrant colors, drawings of butterflies and flowers were upon them and led lights framed the threshold, it was just so eye-catching yet delicate, much like Hongjoong.

“Yeah, that’s my place.” he confirms, punching in the code and when he turns on the lights, it really was still the same, nothing was moved nor replaced

“You guys really weren’t lying when you said that you kept everything intact.” he chuckles, he walks over to his old midi keyboard, pressing on the keys softly

“I remember you staying here for hours on end and Seonghwa would pick you up quite literally just so you’d go home.” Jisung reminds, leaning on the wall and looking around, he wasn’t one who really enters the room so it was quite nostalgic to come in once again.

“Yeah, I remember those times.” he whispers, thinking about how Seonghwa always scolded him for not coming home and basically living in his studio but what he remembers is the last time he was there.

When they had a small fight just before they had their first Christmas as a married couple.

He doesn’t recall what they fought about nor how it got really serious but he remembered taking Jongho with him that night and just falling asleep with him on the huge couch of his studio and as dawn broke, he woke up to Seonghwa asleep on the floor, holding his hand that had fallen over the edge.

He smiles fondly at his old place before calling Jongho and turning off the lights so they can get to the classrooms

“You really should consider coming back in terms of producing, a lot of people have asked over the years what happened to you.” Jisung says as they make their way upstairs where the classes were held

“I’d love to, I have a lot of guides just sitting on my phone that I would love to make but you know, my day job makes me busy and with Jongho growing up.” Jisung nods, understanding what he meant, they weren’t college students anymore, they were working to be able to live a good life.

Jisung knocks on the frosted door of the classroom before poking his head in “Hyung, someone is here to grace us with his presence!” Hongjoong slaps him lightly for being so dramatic before he was pulled inside, along with Jongho

“Oh, Hongjoong and I’m guessing this is Jongho now.” Younghyun puts his guitar down, pausing his class as he approaches his old _“classmate”_

“How have you been?” he asks, hugging him but not as tight as Jisung did because Hongjoong swore his lungs got squeezed from that

“I’ve been good, I’m just here to let you know that you have a new student to teach.” he looks down at Jongho who was looking wide-eyed at all the instruments and the kids his age who were already waving at him, showing him kind smiles and some were even making room for him to sit in

“I would be happy to teach him,” Younghyun shakes Jongho’s little hand before turning to the handful of students “Guys, this is little Jongho, let’s all take care of him, okay?” he got a choruses of _“Yes!”_ and Hongjoong gives him a pat on the head

“Go on baby, make lots of friends and I’ll see you in a bit.” 

Jisung took Hongjoong into his own studio, opting to catch up with him since there is a lot that they missed upon each other’s lives

“Would you like something to drink or eat? I have a stash of alcohol here for when I get bored.” Jisung wiggled his brows but Hongjoong refused the offer “I am driving you little shit.” 

The producer takes out a bunch of snacks as well as a bottle of soda “So, how have you been? How are you and Seonghwa?” he asks, curious as to what they have been up to and the way Hongjoong scrunched his nose was telling as it was one of his habits that Jisung picked up whenever Hongjoong had a disdain for something

“Oh no, trouble in paradise?” he asks, cheeks full of the salty junk food “I wouldn’t say that but I haven’t really been spending time with him.” he nibbles on the inside of his cheek as he relays how he only really sees Seonghwa during breakfast and even with that he’s always rushing

“Tell me all about it, Joong, by the looks of it, no good, huh?” Jisung leans forward, making it known to Hongjoong that he’s listening.

“It’s nothing I’m not used to and I don’t want to come off as accusatory but ever since Yeosang somewhat became his _“muse”_ , he’s been busier than usual,” he traces the edge of the plastic cup in his hand as he looks down, swallowing the lump growing on his throat

“Nowadays I would only really see him in the morning and if I happen stay up late to finish my own projects, he’d miss dinner time with Jong and I, our movie nights every Friday, we rarely go out on weekends like we used to, it’s like everything just shifted.” he sighs, trying to swallow the lump that was forming in his throat

“I don’t want to comment on his ties with Yeosang since it is for business shit and I don’t want him to think that I don’t trust him, I don’t want to have a dirty mind despite all the things my friends have told me about what kind of person Yeosang is, I always keep an open mind because I don’t want to jump into conclusions.”

His voice was shaky by the end and he couldn’t help but cry since it was the first time he had opened up about how he felt about everything, he had San and Wooyoung to talk to, as well as Soobin and Yeonjun but he didn’t want anyone to gang up on Seonghwa since they were the ones who knew some stuff about Yeosang and he didn’t want any of them to jump into conclusions and accuse him on Hongjoong’s behalf.

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy for the success he’s been getting even if it means less time for me but the least he can do is have some time for Jongho.” Jisung doesn’t think twice as he hugged the blue haired man and that’s when Hongjoong just sobs, all the frustrations he’d been feeling just spilled out of the bottle that was already filled to the brim.

“I feel selfish whenever I just think about confronting him about not having time for us because I know he’s working hard for our family and I don’t want to push him away nor cause problems between us because I really can’t handle that as of now.”

Jisung was trying his best to calm him down but at the same time, encouraging him to let it out, cradling him as he used to since he knows how emotional Hongjoong is.

“Just try talking to him Joong, it’s not healthy for you to keep it all in, not only just for you but by extension, it could affect Jongho as well and we all know you would do anything to make sure you little baby is perfectly okay.”

⚝──⭒─⭑─⭒──⚝

“Where would you want to go after this?” Seonghwa whispers into Yeosang’s ear as they sit in a private room of a restaurant “Well, to be honest I just wanted to go home but you took me here.” Yeosang answers, taking a sip of his champagne while eating the slice of chocolate cake he got as a dessert

“Or you know, you could always go home, you haven't been going home early for quite a while now and I'm sure Jongho misses you.” The blonde suggests trying to get Seonghwa to at least see his own family but Seonghwa shakes his head, it wasn’t like he received a call from Hongjoong so there was no reason for him rush

“People might get the wrong idea and catch up to what we’ve been doing.” the younger says making Seonghwa hum “No need to worry about anyone blabbing, it’s a private restaurant.” he leans over, kissing his cheek and smiling “Don’t worry too much little dove.”

Yeosang could feel the Seonghwa’s foot brush up his calves in such a slow manner as ate the remaining frosting on his spoon. Seonghwa’s other hand was creeping up on his inner thigh as he teases him, knowing that Yeosang would just melt like ice when his sensitive areas were being stimulated.

“Hwa, don’t be like that, wouldn’t want to start something we can’t finish.” Yeosang whispers, as he feels Seonghwa nip at his neck before Yeosang pushes him away but Seonghwa ends up bringing their faces close, just enough where their lips grazed each other and Seonghwa runs his fingers through Yeosang’s hair, making the younger moan softly.

But before anything can escalate, Yeosang stands up, leaving Seonghwa a bit confused “I have to go use the bathroom and then we can get out of here, I’m not really in the mood to do anything, pretty tired from the shoot.” Yeosang lies but before he can get out Seonghwa gives him one more searing kiss.

Yeosang walked down the sophisticated halls of the restaurant, as he was about to turn the corner when a pair of hands covered his eyes which made his heart rate spike up a little

“Guess who?” the person asks and Yeosang got a whiff of his cologne

“Changbin, come on, let me use my eyes.” he chuckles and the hands left his eyes, letting him adjust to the light once again

“How’d you know it was me?” his fellow model asks, resting his hand on the curve of Yeosang’s back

“I’ve been around you for so long that I recognize your cologne.” he lets Changbin hold him for a bit as he lets the brunette lead him to the bar up front

“I missed you a lot, you know.” Changbin admits and Yeosang sees Taehyun, already sipping his own cocktail as he flirted a little with the bartender but upon seeing Yeosang he immediately lights up, putting the glass down and running towards him, hugging him as if they haven’t seen each other in years

“Where have you been?” he questions, spinning him around before letting him go “Working, a lot, a lot, a lot, alot!” he answers, hearing Changbin ordering his favorite drink for him and he sits down with them but he remembers that Seonghwa was waiting for him, he blew air in his cheeks as he knows Seonghwa wouldn’t appreciate it if he just left without a proper goodbye

“Oh wait, I have to make a phone call, hold on.” he excuses himself to run back to their booth without his friends seeing.

When he slips back inside their booth, he was pinned into the wall, Seonghwa ravenously kissing him, not even letting him breath

“I have friends out there waiting for me.” he says in between kisses all while Seonghwa was already tugging his pants down, letting the older manhandle him and putting him down on the table that had been thankfully cleared down.

Despite not wanting anything to happen to them that night, he felt as if his body was on fire as he was flushed against Seonghwa and he bites on his shoulder quite hard as he pushed into him raw, spreading him open.

“Fucking hell.” Seonghwa bottoms out, he hisses at how tight he was as well as the pain he felt when Yeosang sank his teeth into the skin of his shoulder, he let it go because he did fuck Yeosang while he was unprepared and he knows how much it would hurt but knowing Yeosang, the model likes a little bit of pain.

“God, you’re beautiful,” Seonghwa breathes out into his ear before pressing kisses on to his neck, feeling Yeosang writhing beneath him and pulling at whatever he could just to have some sort of diffuser from all the tension he felt.

By the end of their quickie, Yeosang looked so fucked out, cheeks flushed red and hair sticking in different directions as it had rubbed up on the table and was not safe from Seonghwa grabbing it.

There was quite an empty look on his face as he watched Seonghwa put his cock back in his pants, he didn’t want anything to happen that night, he should’ve put his foot down and insisted to go home but here he was.

“Help,” he yelps, feeling some sort of pain, afraid to somehow spread his legs as he felt the older’s cum inside of him and Seonghwa coos, going back to him on the table and fixing him up, putting his hair back in place and putting his usual wine tint on his lips, buttoning his silky gold shirt back in place and giving him a peck on his lips “I’ll see you soon, little dove.”

And with that he lifts Yeosang off the table, letting him walk out the room but not without giving his perky ass a slap making the younger whine and glare at him.

“There you are, what took you so long?” Taehyun asks and Yeosang had to hide the discomfort on his face as he sits up at the barstool next to his friends

“I apologize, I had to call someone.” he says but Changbin was quick as he saw the budding hickey on the base of his neck

“Some phone call, who gave this to you, hm?” he pokes at the blooming bruise and Yeosang slaps his hand away as it was throbbing before covering it up by lifting his shirt up.

As if on cue Seonghwa comes out from the hall, wiping the corner of his lips as he stalked to the other side of the bar, looking at Yeosang with hungry eyes as he orders his own drink.

“Isn’t that Park Seonghwa?” he hears Taehyun whisper as he waited for another round of his drink “He’s so gorgeous, oh Sangie, you’re so lucky to be working up close with him.” he comments and Yeosang just hums, bringing the drink up to his lips, telling himself that he’s going to need a lot to drown out everything he was feeling

“I know he’s hot but he’s hot hot!” Taehyun adds, gasping as his own eyes raked over him “Hey, he’s married.” Changbin reminds, flicking Taehyun who just rolls his eyes, thanking the bartender as his drink was placed in front of him

“But you have to admit it, if he looked at you right now, you’d be on your knees.” he teases and it turned to bickering while Yeosang just stays silent, feeling as if he’s going to burst out in flames at the way Seonghwa was looking at him.

“I would not! He’s married and has a child, I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I knew I was a home wrecker.” Changbin defends, raising the bourbon up to his lips “Affairs always end in a rather disastrous manner.”

“You’ve grown quiet Sangie, is something wrong?” Taehyun finally stops ogling Seonghwa as he now turns his attention to his friend but much like Changbin he saw how Yeosang was keeping eye contact with Seonghwa from the other side

“Don’t tell me you,” he drags out and Changbin’s expression immediately changed, he knew that Yeosang was somewhat seeing someone for the past year but what he didn’t know was that he’s seeing a married man

“You did not, tell me you did not do what I think it is that you’ve done.” Changbin grabs him by the chin, looking at him in the eye since he knows if he’s lying with the mere expression in his eyes and by the looks of it, Yeosang was indeed this man’s mistress.

“Sang, you can end it now and no one can get hurt.” Changbin says, caressing his cheek with the pad of his thumb “Someone will get hurt in the end.” he whispers toward Changbin, all while Taehyun kept his mouth shut

“He has a family, Sang, think about it, you aren’t like this.” he reminds, Yeosang wanted nothing more than to be honest right there and then, these are the only people he really trusted but can’t really speak up since he was in Seonghwa’s view and he swiftly gestures toward Seonghwa using his eyes and Changbin was quick to get the message, he lets go of the blonde before whispering

“I’m coming over to your place later and then we can talk about it.”

And with that Changbin sighs, giving him a gentle kiss on the cheek as he knows all the shit Yeosang has been through and it makes him wonder as to why he would latch himself into a married man.


	13. Chapter 13

After his being able to let everything out with Jisung, he felt like he had mustered up the courage to talk to Seonghwa, even more so as Jisung encouraged him to do so, telling him that whatever hurdle they’re going through, they will be able to overcome it since they always have solved things in all the years they’ve been together.

He’d been trying to find the right time to talk to him but his husband hasn’t been coming home at the hours when he’s awake, always telling him he’s working overtime on some projects that had deadlines. Hongjoong wants to intrude and maybe ask Yunho what has been going on but he didn't want to be the overbearing husband.

However, there was one night that Hongjoong decided to wait for him, he kept himself awake by painting on one of his old denim jackets and Jongho’s as well but hours upon hours passed that he didn’t even realize that he fell asleep on the floor.

He only realized that it was already morning when he hit his head on the floor after it had slipped off his arm which he used as a pillow. In his dazed state, he creeps up into their bedroom to see Seonghwa sleeping soundly and his eyes fell before approaching him as it was odd that Seonghwa would just leave him in the living room like that.

Seonghwa either wakes him up or carry him to their room like he always used to do.

The blue haired man shrugs it off, thinking that Seonghwa was just as tired as him and he nestles himself under the covers, holding his husband, letting his long lashes flutter against the skin of his delicate cheek, smiling a bit before falling asleep but it seemed as if it was temporary happiness.

When he woke up, Seonghwa already gone and he sees Jongho playing on the floor of their room, waiting for him to wake up because his daddy already left.

Hongjoong just slaps on a fake smile as he spends his weekend with Jongho, trying to put up a façade for the sake of his son because he would know if something is up.

Hongjoong had been feeling anxious for what seemed like an entire week if he was being honest. Throughout the day he busied himself by doing some housework but it ended up backfiring as it triggered his allergies which he hated and he cursed himself for not wearing a mask to protect himself from the dust.

But at the same time he took it as an opportunity to make Seonghwa come home early, telling his husband that he was feeling drowsy due to the anti-histamines and didn’t want to risk driving a car, he felt some relief when Seonghwa agrees, telling him that he’ll pick Jongho up, Hongjoong was hyping himself up to just bite the bullet and tell Seonghwa what he's been feeling lately.

As the day slowly fades away, he kept glancing at the clock from time to time because it just felt so slow and at each tick of the clock, his anxiety grew even more.

There was no sign or his husband nor his son, he was sure that there were no meetings in school that day and he didn’t get a call from Seonghwa whether or not he will be running late in picking him up, but maybe Seonghwa caught on that he hasn't been paying attention to him and maybe he's going to buy him flowers or any type of surprise.

Jongho’s classes ended at 3:30 and by 4:00 he would already be home, maybe 4:30 at the most if he were to get Hongjoong's favorite muffins as an apology.

But it was well past 5:00 and they weren't home yet nor did he ever get a call from Seonghwa that he already has Jongho. Hongjoong bites his nails as he picks up his phone to call Seonghwa, all his messages had been left unread and he just feels his heart pounding louder by the minute.

He paced around the living room as Seonghwa’s phone just kept ringing and ringing but it was to no avail, he walked over to the window, situating himself there to wait for Seonghwa’s car to finally pull up.

He swore that his heart was going to jump out of his ribcage by the way it was pounding like a jackhammer. The sound of ringing filled his ears and he didn’t even bother checking who was calling as he answers, his hands were shaky that it almost slips out of his grasp

“Hongjoong-ssi?” his brows furrowed with confusion as to who could it be seeing as he didn’t recognize the voice

“This is him, may I ask who is this? Did something happen?” he questions, sitting on the window seat as he pulls his knees up to his chest, taking in a deep breath as he prepares for what will come next.

“Oh my bad, this is Mingi, I’m just calling to ask if someone is picking up Jongho, it’s been nearly an an hour and a half since the dismissal and no one has come around, are you coming to pick him up? I can drop him off if you’re busy since I don't want to leave him here.” Hongjoong felt a wave of relief that his son was still at school but at the same time he can’t help but be upset with Seonghwa, Jongho has been in school for well over an hour and he wasn’t informed that he couldn’t even pick him up.

“You don’t mind if you drop him off, right? I am not in the state to drive and I was really expecting my husband to pick him up.”

Mingi answers that he can and he already has the address on their emergency contacts list, all Hongjoong can do was thank him as well as apologize for the inconvenience.

“Fucking hell Seonghwa. What the fuck is going on with you?” he hissed as he dials Yunho’s number, out rightly furious at the thought that Seonghwa would pull some shit like this

“Joong, I’m surprised you called.” Yunho greets him, chuckling a bit “Hey Yun, are you still at the office?” his free hand has made its way to his side as he digs his nails into his clothed skin

“Yes I am, I’m finalizing some schedules, did you need something?” Yunho asked rather nonchalantly since he didn't really know that there was something going on between Seonghwa and Hongjoong.

“Is Seonghwa still there?” he asked without hesitation, anger in his tone that he failed to hide “He left 2 hours ago, he didn’t tell me where he was going to be honest and he doesn’t have anything scheduled for this afternoon.” The line goes silent as Hongjoong closes his eyes, he was now seething with anger

“Hongjoong, did something happen? I’ll get hold of him and I will call you back once I do.” As Yunho hangs up, Hongjoong finds himself tossing the phone on the couch as it was getting a tad overheated from how much he’s been using it.

“It’s okay Hongjoong, stop stressing out, Jongho is coming home soon, he’s okay, your baby bear is okay.” he reminds himself to calm himself down as he looked forward to seeing his son after a long day, safe and secured at home.

The sound of a car engine dying down made him spring up on his feet and he immediately looks out of the window, he felt his worry subside upon what he saw.

Mingi and Jongho, a smile cracked on his lips for the first time that day, even more so when he saw how happy Jongho was, perched up on the redhead’s shoulders while Mingi just let the child play with his fiery hair and he could see how Mingi was laughing, his eyes turning into crescents once more. It was quite a wholesome sight for Hongjoong if he was being honest as he’s never really seen Jongho being that close to Seonghwa nowadays.

“Hi Papa!” Jongho waves as him and Mingi were coming up the stairs that lead to their front door “Hi baby.” He smiles, trying to get hold of Jongho and take the weight off Mingi but his son doesn’t want to get off

“Baby, come on, didn’t you miss me?” Hongjoong pouts, Mingi doesn’t say a word as he lifts Jongho off his body, setting him down on the ground “You mentioned you were feeling sick so heavy cargo is a no no and by the looks of it, you aren’t getting better.” he points out, poking at Hongjoong’s red nose making him scrunch it before laughing a bit.

Mingi crouches down to Jongho and Hongjoong sees that they were doing some sort of handshake and he kneels down to their level to get a better look at it.

“What was that?” he hums, wrapping an arm around Jongho’s shoulder and kissing his cheek “I teach Mingi Hyung a secret handshake.” He smiles, looking back at his papa and hugging him

“Oh, so is that only for you and your Mingi Hyung?” he asks, brushing the back of his hair with his fingers “Yes, only for me and Mingi Hyung!” he announces proudly before letting go and Hongjoong stands up, Mingi following afterwards

“Would you like to come in for coffee or tea?” he invites politely and the teacher shakes his head, telling him it wasn’t really necessary

“I insist, it’s the least I can do since you bought Jongho home, I know how tiring it can be to teach and look after kids all day.”

Mingi wasn’t able to decline again as Jongho excitedly pulls him inside, talking to him about his music lessons and showing him the small guitar that his papa had gotten for him.

Hongjoong can’t help but listen to them as he waited for the coffee to finish brewing, he can’t help but think about how Jongho seemed to open up when he’s either talking about his Mingi Hyung or when he’s with him.

It’s who he tends to talk about during dinner since it’s normally just two of them at that point but part of him worries that he was growing distant when it came to Seonghwa, which was the opposite of what they were working on.

In all the times that Seonghwa miraculously made it home for dinner, Jongho is quiet, just rushing to finish his food so he can go to his room or stay in the living room.

Meanwhile Jongho was showing Mingi all the basic chords he’s learned as well as telling him everything he’s learned about his Papa from his teacher’s at the music program, telling him how amazing and talented he is.

Mingi just nods at each word since he’s been following Hongjoong’s work since he started so he knows how hard he has worked to perfect his craft and build a small name for himself.

“You’ll grow up just as good as him Jongho, just make sure to practice and work hard, okay?” Mingi says, squeezing his cheeks and making Jongho giggle once more

“I promise Hyung!” Jongho puts his little pinky up and so did Mingi, twining them together to keep that promise before he went upstairs as Hongjoong told him to change his clothes and this leaves Hongjoong with Mingi.

“What is it about you and making my son happy, hm?” He jokingly says as he brings their drinks to the living room, setting them up on the coffee table and he notices how Mingi got easily flustered which surprised him as he’s always looked so intimidating but perhaps he just assumed that since he was tall, built like a tree if he’s being honest but his personality was the exact opposite since he was like a happy little pill.

“I don’t know either, maybe because I am an angel.” The redhead says, cupping his face as he smiles, eyes disappearing in the process “Oh are you now?” Hongjoong leans back, raising a brow and Mingi nods confidently

“I was born at paradise hospital but I had to get my wings removed so I can spread happiness here on earth.” Mingi adds, his tone was so natural that Hongjoong would believe him right there but all he does was tell him that he has no doubts before they shared a laugh.

“So, it’s great that you actually enrolled him to a music program, he always gets too excited when he sees me at school just to tell me the songs he learned, sometimes even during class and I have to calm him down.” Hongjoong smiles, sipping his hot drink before answering him

“Yeah, he’s been practicing a lot here too, he rarely plays with his toys because all he holds is his guitar and who knows, maybe when he’s at his classes there, I could visit my studio again.” He hints and Mingi looks at him, a tad surprised

“That sounds like a plan, you should try again though, you seriously make good music and it shouldn't just be pushed behind.”

It was now Hongjoong’s turn to turn red, immediately hiding behind his sweater paws as he didn’t want Mingi to see him all flustered

“I’m serious! I came across it by accident in my final year of college and I just got hooked.” Mingi tries to get him to show his face again by holding him by the wrist and Hongjoong whines, telling him to not look at him but Mingi just makes him even more red as he cooed at how cute he looked with his red cheeks.

Jongho came down, dressed in his pajamas, he sees the commotion happening between his papa and hyung that he immediately races towards the couch, situating himself between them to be able to have fun too

“Why is Papa all red?” he asks, standing up and peeking at him “Oh, it’s nothing Jong, just said some stuff that made him blush.” Mingi says before finishing his coffee, still looking at Hongjoong who was still hiding behind his hands.

They didn’t realize how much time had passed since they were so caught up in talking about music, what songs did Mingi liked, what songs did Hongjoong enjoy producing the most and just getting to know each other better.

Jongho even came to the point where he told his hyung to stay for dinner because his papa makes the best food but Mingi declined as he jokingly said that he was already overstaying his welcome and he wouldn’t want to give Hongjoong’s husband the wrong idea if he were to come home while he’s still there.

They even failed to notice that Seonghwa’s car had pulled up while Hongjoong was laughing at how Mingi was trying to pry Jongho off his leg

“Who’s car is outs-“ Seonghwa cuts himself off when he sees his husband and son along with an unknown person “Hwa? I didn't know you were on your way home,” Hongjoong calls Jongho over and the little one still hasn’t let go of Mingi, only tightening his grip upon seeing Seonghwa.

“It seems as if I interrupted something.” Seonghwa raises a brow, staring Mingi down as if the redhead wasn’t towering over him.

“Not at all, I was just leaving; I’m Song Mingi by the way, Jongho’s teacher.” He bows respectfully after introducing himself while Seonghwa just clenches his jaw, his stare bouncing from Hongjoong and Mingi, which made the teacher feel uneasy and he excuses himself

“I’ll get going now, I’ll see you on Monday, Jongho and thank you for the coffee, Hongjoong-ssi.”

⚝──⭒─⭑─⭒──⚝

Dinner was full of tension but it was mostly just between Hongjoong and Seonghwa, even though it’s only been a couple of months, having dinner with his husband already felt foreign to Hongjoong.

He felt like he’d gotten used to just eating with Jongho, even jokingly telling himself at one point that he’s like a single parent.

He was picking at his food, glancing at Seonghwa from time to time, as if waiting for him to talk to him even though he was at fault for what happened that day.

“Hwa,” Hongjoong says softly as he comes inside their bedroom after putting Jongho to sleep, his husband doesn’t even look up from his phone but he goes on to the bed anyway, wiggling himself into Seonghwa’s body, putting his head on his chest as he wrapped his arm around his torso

“Are you mad at me?” he pokes at his stomach, trying to find his tickle spots just to get his attention and maybe diffuse the tension between them.

“Hwa Hwa.” he drawled out but Seonghwa just pushes him off but Hongjoong persisted

“Hwa bear.” he whines, situating himself on top of him as he kept a small smile on his face but his husband just looked at him with a cold gaze.

“Hongjoong, get off, if you want something tonight, go to that redhead boy of yours, you seem to be getting along just fine.” Seonghwa smiles sarcastically while Hongjoong swallows hard at what he heard, unable to believe at what his husband just said to him and he scurries aside.

“What is that supposed to mean, Seonghwa?” he questions, his tone getting firm as he waits for an answer

“Oh come on Joong, I know how needy you can be sometimes, bet you’re having the time of your life now that I’m rarely home, I wouldn’t be surprised if you’ve taken him on th-”

Hongjoong couldn’t control his actions as he slaps his husband for insinuating such things, the older doesn’t seem fazed even though his cheek was stinging “I can’t believe you just fucking said that to me.”

Hongjoong leaves the room without saying another word, a sob escaping his lips as he makes his way out into the hall.

He cups his mouth with his hand, to drown out the sound of his cries as he didn’t want Jongho to hea, his chest felt tight as he held it in as it needed to be let out, not kept in but he had to, for Jongho’s sake.

He felt like an anxiety attack was about to set in as he just slides down on to the top of the stairs, crying in silence as one hand gripped on to the banister, digging his fingers on the wood as he cries.

He doesn’t know how long he had been there but he feels a blanket being wrapped around his shoulders, he had expected it to be his husband, coming to apologize to him but instead he meets Jongho’s worried eyes and he immediately straightens up, wiping the tears away because it’s something he didn’t want him to see.

“H-hey baby, why are you awake?” he asks as if he wasn’t just crying “I heard something, papa okay?” Hongjoong just caresses his son’s cheek before standing up and holding his hand

“I’m okay baby, come on, let’s get back to bed.” Jongho nods, following his papa to the guest room.

“Why are you crying?” Jongho asks once they were under the covers “I’m just a little sad baby, no need to worry.” he assured and he feels Jongho’s small hand wipe the remaining tears

“Papa sleep, Jongie will sing.” This made Hongjoong chuckle a bit before hugging his baby tightly “It’s okay, we both have to sleep.” he kisses his cheeks one more time as he lulls him to sleep

“Love you papa.” he hears before he falls asleep as well, feeling exhausted, both physically and emotionally. 


	14. Chapter 14

Ever since the altercation had happened, it was Hongjoong’s turn to avoid Seonghwa for the weeks that followed. He didn’t dare give Seonghwa even just a sliver of a glance, always looking down once he was in the same room as him, at times leaving the room entirely, bringing Jongho along with him because he knows that even Jongho doesn't want to be in the same room as him.

For the most part whenever Seonghwa was home, Hongjoong slept in the spare guest room as he couldn’t stand being in the same bed with him at the time. Things just got more worst as Seonghwa never apologized for what he insinuated. It was incredibly foul that he had the nerve to accuse him of such as he's been nothing but loyal ever since they were damn teenagers.

In the end, as the tensions grew even more, Seonghwa ended up not coming home at times or when he does come home, it was at the wee hours of the morning so he doesn’t have to face Hongjoong. The younger man tells himself that he isn’t bothered by it but on the inside he is.

There are parts of him that just want lash out on Seonghwa but at the same time all he wants was for Seonghwa to come home to him with the optimism of fixing everything that has been happening.

It’s been so long since they’ve had a serious fight and this was surely one of them, one that went on for a longer period of time but the difference with this fight was that it has been silently festering for months and they didn't even notice.

Hongjoong just distracts himself by going out whenever he is miraculously not busy with his business, he’d either buy more art supplies, explore thrift stores for secondhand clothes that he can reform, and becoming more hands-on at his own store yet again while he waits for Jongho’s classes to end.

But despite spending all those times with his friends, not once has he brought up that he was having problems with Seonghwa as he didn’t want them to worry about him because they all have their own lives as well.

He would always just show them a façade, showing them that everything is okay rather than just be honest about his emotions and everything that he’s been silently going through.

Hongjoong was called into school since there was a parent-teacher meeting happening.

The blue haired boy was just extremely exhausted, he’d gone in and out of consciousness as the meeting went on, missing out on what it was even about. He hasn’t been sleeping very well since he would either just be kept awake by his thoughts and when he does fall asleep, he’d be woken up by his nightmares and at times, Jongho’s cries for him.

There was one night that Hongjoong ended up crying while he was trying to calm Jongho down from his nightmare, he must have been so filled with fear as he was grabbing onto Hongjoong quite hard, so hard that it actually gave him bruises on various parts of his body from how hard he was holding on to him and at the same time, kicking and screaming.

Hongjoong was just so scared as to what was going on with Jongho that he couldn't help but burst into tears because he didn't know how he could help him, he promised Jongho that he will protect him from harm yet he doesn't even know where to start..

Hongjoong was up until dawn after that frightening experience, eventually just falling asleep as he was sat on the floor, his back pressed on the wall but not once did he let go of Jongho.

Both of their cheeks were streaked with tears and Jongho ended up having a fever, which worried Hongjoong once more but he just told himself to pull it together because Jongho needed him.

“Hongjoong-ssi?” the blue haired man opens his eyes and he immediately looks up at Mingi who had a worried expression on his face as he sits next to him, asking if he’s okay and catching Hongjoong when he always falls off the chair.

Hongjoong immediately goes red at the realization that he fell asleep throughout the meeting and the parents, as well as their own kids, have already left apart from him and Jongho

“Fuck,” he mutters before covering his face, slapping his cheek a bunch of times to wake himself up and Mingi stops him from doing so "This is so embarrassing, Mingi, I am so sorry.”

“Hey, it’s okay.” Mingi gently takes his hands away from his face, holding them delicately, trying to soothe him and there he sees how bad of a state he was in, his eyes were kind of red and he had dark circles lining them, his eyes were a vast contrast from the glimmering, dark brown eyes he would usually have since they were just lifeless at that point. Mingi just pulls him into what seemed to be a side hug, letting Hongjoong cry on his shoulder

“Hongjoong-ssi, has something happened? Have you been sleeping?” Mingi asks softly, not wanting to sound assertive as he didn’t want to pressure Hongjoong into telling him.

The blue haired man sits up straight, sniffling as he wipes the warm tears away, fanning himself so he'd stop and as he opens his mouth to answer but Jongho beats him to it as he saw the scene unfolding

“Mingi Hyung, papa’s been crying at night and because Jongie has nightmares.” he answers as he climbs up on Hongjoong’s lap, situating himself there while he still looked up at Mingi.

“Did something happen? Are you okay?” Mingi asks, the tone of concern laced in his voice as Jongho just confirmed that there is a problem that is on-going “It’s nothing Mingi, nothing I can’t fix.” He smiles weakly as he stood up, carrying Jongho up and even wincing a bit since he’s been feeling a tad weak from missing meals due to the lack of appetite.

When they exited the room, Mingi nibbles on his bottom lip as he debated whether or not to chase after them but in a split second, he was rushing out of the room, calling for the father and son.

“Yes Mingi?” Hongjoong asks, turning around to face him “I want to apologize for staying over at your place, I should not have intruded even when you insisted.” Hongjoong sighs softly as he shakes his head, wanting him to understand that he wasn’t at fault for what had happened between him and Seonghwa

“You shouldn’t apologize for that Mingi, it was my way of thanking you for taking care of Jongho that day and by default, my way of thanking you for looking out for him in times like this.” Hongjoong just lets Mingi wrap an arm around his shoulder as the redhead opt to accompany him to his car while he tells him that everything will be okay over time.

The blue haired man thanks him yet again but also apologizing as he has been dragged into his mess but Mingi tells him that it's okay, patting the top of his head before opening the car door for him so he can strap Jongho in his car seat and with that the father and son bids him goodbye.

Once they got home, Hongjoong immediately washes Jongho and dressing him in his pajamas, he leaves the young boy to play with his guitar as he makes dinner for both of them as he tells Jongho that they'll be watching a movie and he can stay past his bedtime even though it was a school night, Jongho was happy over the small things and promised to be good and not get in the way while his papa does the remainder of his housework so they can get to it fast.

“Papa, is daddy still going to come home?” Jongho asks, breaking the silence as they watched the movie he had picked out, they were both huddled together, a fluffy blanket wrapped around them along with some popcorn and other snacks laid in between them.

“He comes home late at night baby, you’re just sleeping soundly when he does so you don’t hear him come in.” Hongjoong lies through his teeth, well it was partly true and he just wants to reassure him but he chokes at what his son says next

“You don’t have to lie Papa, you always told me that I must not tell lies.”

Hongjoong felt like a hypocrite, sighing and cupping his son’s face “I- daddy loves us, okay baby, don’t worry.” he kisses the crown of his head “I don’t want papa to come home anymore.” Hongjoong was definitely shocked after hearing that come out of a 5 year old’s mouth

“Jongho, don’t say that, that’s bad, baby.” He sits him down on his lap as he asks him why he would say that “’Cause all daddy does is make you cry, don’t like it when you cry.” Jongho says, his lips turning into a pout

“Baby, you don’t have to worry about that, daddy and I are just having a misunderstanding.” He says, looking firmly at Jongho to see if he understood what he was saying

“I like Mingi Hyung more.” He grumbles and Hongjoong sighs, he understands as to why Jongho had started looking up to another person as his father figure since Mingi was giving him the care and attention that Seonghwa was supposed to be doing and he couldn’t really force Jongho to stop, he’s thankful that he has his Mingi Hyung but he wishes that he would be like that with Seonghwa.

Jongho had fallen asleep halfway through, being rocked to sleep by Hongjoong as he reminded him how loved he is.

They completely forgot about the movie and only realized as the credits started to roll.

Hongjoong turns the television off, tucking Jongho safely in the bed before taking their dishes and leftover food downstairs, failing to hear their front door get unlocked, continuing to clean up after themselves.

“Joong,” his breath hitches at the sound of his husband’s voice “Joong, look at me, please.” he stayed frozen as he feels a pair of hands settle on his waist, it was as if everything he wanted to say just flew out of his brain at the feeling of Seonghwa’s touch.

“I am truly sorry for what I said, I regret ever saying those words to you.” Seonghwa hugs his husband from behind, nuzzling his face into the crook of his neck as he slowly felt his world spin from the alcohol he had consumed after getting into an argument with Yeosang

“I know you would never but I- I just got surprised that someone was at our home who I did not know.” Seonghwa spoke, even in his drunken-state, he still hasn’t let out a single lie slip out of his mouth.

He feels Hongjoong’s hands lay on top of his, he thinks that the younger would console him but the smaller man unclasped the hands off his waist and he silently goes up to their bedroom, he didn’t utter a single word as he got under the covers, hugging Jongho close to him, he just wanted to sleep due to being tired but he can’t seem to do so since his mind was wide awake

He felt the bed dip from the other side but he doesn’t stir, he just subtly held Jongho tighter.

“I’m sorry.” he felt Seonghwa pull both of them in his arms and that’s when Hongjoong smell the faint scent of alcohol and he felt bad, Seonghwa wasn’t one to drink but perhaps their marital problems pushed him a bit into doing it but he can’t let his sympathy get the best of him as he kept his eyes tightly shut

“Jongie, I know you probably can’t hear me but I love you so much.” Hongjoong felt his throat clog up as he thought of all the memories they had, why can’t it be like it used to be?

Back when everything was so perfect.

⚝──⭒─⭑─⭒──⚝

When Hongjoong woke up that morning, he sees that it was only him and Jongho on the bed, he scratched the back of his neck as he thinks what had happened was just a vivid dream caused by his exhaustion. He pulls himself up from the bed, giving Jongho a kiss before he makes breakfast and packs a lunchbox for Jongho.

He takes a cold shower to wake himself up even more before starting the day but as he was getting dressed, he hears the sound of clattering in the kitchen and he sighs, thinking that some stray cat must have gotten inside through the window and he groans at the thought but as he descends down, he sees their dining table all set up and his husband in the kitchen.

“Sweetheart, you’re awake? Get back to bed, I’m making breakfast.” Seonghwa says softly, wiping his hands on his apron but Hongjoong doesn’t say a word as he brewed himself some tea, just passing by Seonghwa as if he was a ghostly figure.

“Sweetheart, go on, it’s too early.” Seonghwa kisses his cheek and this caught the shorter man off guard as he slams his mug down on the counter, thankful that it doesn’t shatter into tiny shards

“You show up here after weeks and do you really think I’m going to forgive you just like that?” Hongjoong’s voice was low and hoarse since he just woke up and not only that, he was feeling very irritable

“Hongjoong, I didn’t come here expecting forgiveness instantly but I am here to make it up to you, I missed you.” Hongjoong rolls his eyes at the bold statement “You missed me? Yeah, sure, I totally believe you, also, don’t think I didn’t smell the alcohol on you last night.” he says with a scoff, crossing his arms

“Can you really just decide to apologize when you’re under the influence?” he taunts before deciding that he wasn’t finished berating him

“You know what, after months of treating Jongho and I like chopped liver, we’ve gotten used to it, we’re both fine with just the two of us.” Hongjoong was beyond stressed out, hurt and very much upset at his sudden appearance.

It was as if Seonghwa was toying with his very fragile emotions.

“And you had the fucking nerve to accuse me of cheating on you? Seonghwa, that man is Jongho’s teacher, who brought him home because you fucked up, hearing you accuse me of fucking him is rich, all I’ve ever done is do my job, keep the house in check and take care of Jongho, in all honesty, I should be the one accusing you of cheating.” Hongjoong blows off, all the frustrations just flying out of him, his plan of talking to him in a calm manner was clearly out of the picture.

“The fuck is that supposed to mean Hongjoong? Come on, don’t be shy, say it with your whole chest.” Seonghwa’s jaw clenched, staring Hongjoong down as he stalks towards him but Hongjoong didn’t show an ounce of feeling intimidated as he stood his ground, who was Seonghwa to get angry with him when Hongjoong had more of the reason to be angry with all the shit he's been put into

“Oh I don’t know, maybe because of the fact that ever since Yeosang worked with you, you only had eyes for him.” Seonghwa felt his heart pound like a jack rabbit at the thought that either Jongho told him or he was beginning to catch up on his extramarital activities.

“You do know that this is all just business, right Hongjoong? You of all people should be keeping an open mind about this.” Hongjoong was biting the inside of his cheek that he felt like he has punctured the soft tissue from the way he was tasting blood.

“Well, I tried Seonghwa, I fucking tried so hard but how can I prevent myself from thinking about such things when-” Hongjoong was cut off when the older had pulled him by the front of his shirt, crashing their lips together for a deep, longing kiss.

“You are the only one that I want, Joong.” Seonghwa lies through his teeth just to shut up Hongjoong, he didn’t want to blow up and expose himself as he was already getting a bit of an attitude from Yeosang and he does not want to dump all his frustrations into Hongjoong.

Hongjoong felt weak in Seonghwa’s arms, as he couldn’t really deny that he had been craving him.

“I love you so fucking much Hongjoong.” Seonghwa whispered against his lips, slowly lowering his lips all the way down to his neck as he left painful yet pleasurable bites, creating petals upon petals of hickies on his husband.

When Seonghwa pulls away, Hongjoong looked dazed with tears in his eyes and he immediately wiped them away from his face

“I love you so much Joong.” he reminds, literally sweeping off his feet as he brings him to the couch, sitting him on his lap and giving him another searing kiss on his lips.


	15. Chapter 15

After their little encounter that early morning, Seonghwa opted to take Jongho to school but Hongjoong told him that he can handle it on his own as he always does, telling Seonghwa that he does not trust him as he was under the influence the night before and letting him know that Jongho literally does not want to be near him.

He firmly tells Seonghwa that they are going to have a long talk when he gets back home and to sober up completely because he has a lot to say.

As soon as he got home, he had the intuition to corner Seonghwa so he can get some answers as to what he’s been doing but as soon as he hangs his keys on the hook, he was swept up on his feet by Seonghwa quite literally.

The action making him squeal as he held on to him tightly, heart pounding like crazy as he was reminded of their wedding night.

On that magical night, Hongjoong had been so buzzed with all the alcohol they consumed that Seonghwa had to carry him up to their hotel room as he giggles like crazy, hazily announcing how he's so happy that they're finally married.

It was one of the most enchanted nights for Hongjoong as after they’ve made a mess among themselves by making love, they spent the entirety of the night looking out of the wide windows, eyes transfixed on the glimmering stars as well as the pale moonlight that lit up the room.

But the current happenings was far beyond their wedding night, they were literally in the middle of a hurdle and Seonghwa was acting as if it was nothing, claiming that he had run Hongjoong a bath seeing as he’s been so stressed and Hongjoong angrily told him to put him down because it is not the time but Seonghwa just nips at his jaw, teasing him by calling him an angry kitten before biting at his neck, the action making Hongjoong burst into unwanted giggles as it had tickled and he eventually ends up softening up as Seonghwa promised to take care of him that morning.

It was as if his train of thought was instantly derailed at the hands of his husband but who can blame Hongjoong? He loves Seonghwa with all his heart and he admits that he always has a soft spot for him.

Hongjoong just sighs in relief as he pushed back into Seonghwa who was right behind him on their tub, the older planting soft kisses on his bare shoulder that bore some bruises

“What happened here, hm?” Seonghwa asks, as if waiting for Hongjoong to slip up and say that it was from Jongho’s teacher.

“Oh, that, Jongho caused them but it’s okay.” He whispers, lifting his arm up to show more of the bruises that littered his skin, explaining that he gets really strong whenever he’s having a nightmare.

“You have no fucking clue how much I missed you, how much I missed us.” Hongjoong whispers, closing his eyes as he felt Seonghwa’s warm hands on his skin, dancing delicately over his bruises. He still thinks he’s dreaming as everything seems to be back to how it used to be.

It was like all the nights where San and Wooyoung would volunteer to take care of Jongho to give them some time for each other, all the romantic dinners they’ve had while also cooking together, watching movies in their living room which ends up with them making out and missing it, the candle-lit bubble baths while sharing chocolate covered strawberries and champagne.

Hongjoong just wants all of those to happen again.

“Where’d you stay when you didn’t come home?” Hongjoong asks, bringings his knees up to his chest and resting his chin on them as he lets Seonghwa wash his hair

“I was at our apartment in Gangnam for the most part, I was so ashamed at what I said to you and all those times that I was home with you, I just really wanted to apologize but I just couldn’t muster up the words I wanted to say.” Seonghwa answers, biting his tongue afterwards as it was yet another lie, all those nights where he didn’t come home, he was with Yeosang, relieving his stress by sleeping with him but he had noticed how the younger was acting out, even more so since he reconnected with his friends whom he saw at the bar.

Hongjoong feels his hands go lower down his body and that made him flinch, moving away from him at an instant as he didn’t want to take anything further for now, not when his thoughts are conflicted

“I-I can’t, I’m sorry Hwa.” Seonghwa hushes him, getting hold of the shower nozzle as he washes the product away from Hongjoong’s hair, letting the water turn blue as the color of his hair gradually faded

“It’s okay, come, we should get out, don’t want you to get cold.” Seonghwa just gives his cheek another kiss before grabbing a towel to cover themselves up.

Hongjoong clung to his husband like a koala as they lay on their bed, Hongjoong couldn’t remember the last time Seonghwa held him in their shared bed, it seems as if it’s been so long.

Seonghwa just takes in Hongjoong’s vanilla scent as he has seemed to have forgotten it as he was so used to smelling Yeosang’s lavender scent

"What have I missed?” Seonghwa asks, referring to what’s been going on with Hongjoong’s life and Jongho’s as he has failed to even catch up when he’s at home

“Well, I’ve taken Jongho to have his guitar lessons, he’s been doing okay so far, especially when he’s with-” he cuts himself off as he almost mentions Mingi’s name and he didn’t want to make Seonghwa mad because they’ve just barely made up and he didn’t want to add another reason to their rift.

“You can say his name, I heard Jongho talk about him this morning, asking for him.” Seonghwa says with some bitterness in his tone and Hongjoong hushes him

“You were away for for the most part and with everything he’s been seeing, please just give him some time, he’ll warm up to you again, you know how affectionate Jongho is and he's just really going through something.”

Seonghwa admits that he’s been selfish, only thinking about his own happiness, completely disregarding the people who really needed him the most and how it has affected them.

“I’ve been thinking about going back to producing,” Hongjoong whispers as he twiddled with the end of Seonghwa’s shirt “Will you?” Seonghwa asked, brushing away some bit of his hair that had gotten in the way of his face

“I want to, I mean, it’d be a waste to just completely disregard it.” he answers “Joong, you already have a lot on your plate-”

“I can do it Hwa, I did it once and I can do it again.” he cuts him off, staring up at him and he sees some doubt in Seonghwa’s eyes, he wanted to tell him that he will be able to do it if Seonghwa does his part in taking care of Jongho as well but as the passive person that he is, he just keeps what he wanted to himself

“You just have to trust me, I’ll be able to do it.” he concludes before snuggling back into him, getting some shut eye since he’s been lacking sleep.

As Seonghwa watched Hongjoong sleep soundly like a little kitten, some regrets did start to cloud his mind. In front of his eyes was the man he made an unbreakable vow to, the man he promised to take care of and love for the rest of his life.

And he has broken it the minute he laid eyes on Yeosang, it was unfixable the minute they sneaked off into a hotel room as Seonghwa let his desires get to him. Sometimes he just questions himself as to why he couldn’t just be happy with what he already has.

Why couldn’t he just be grateful to have Hongjoong?

But he has an answer to his own question he felt as if he’d fallen out of love with Hongjoong but he keeps pushing himself to love him again, always showing the façade of a loving husband when he’s facing him and their friends but on the inside he was at war with his conscience but knows he can’t just pick everything up and leave the relationship even though he’s been wanting to get out for months, even promising Yeosang that once he leaves Hongjoong, they can be together but Yeosang had made it clear that it’s something that he does not entirely want.

Yeosang admitted it would be nice to be able to be public with their relationship but he knew what the consequences would be; he'll be infamously labelled as a mistress who broke up Seonghwa's family and he reminds Seonghwa that his family weren't play things that he can just replace once he's lost interest.

He had fallen for Yeosang over the course of the year and even if he wanted to end things between them for the sake of saving his family, he couldn’t deem himself to do it.

Did he really love Yeosang or did he love the way the younger made him feel in bed?

Was it really love or was it infatuation? 

⚝──⭒─⭑─⭒──⚝

Over the next few days Seonghwa had taken days off to take care of Hongjoong, helping him with housework and taking care of Jongho who was still hesitant to be with him and in those days Hongjoong felt the lightest, he was no longer alone in their own home and overall he was happy at the thought of Seonghwa really trying to make it up to him and Jongho, he was happy that his husband was home and he wanted nothing more than that.

Hongjoong almost forgot that he had a scheduled fitting with one of his clients that morning, it completely slipped out of his mind because of all the things he’s been doing with Seonghwa but he had an idea.

“Hwa, are you free today? I have a short meeting with a client and I figured we can have lunch together.” he says as he slips on his boots, lacing them tightly.

Seonghwa silently sighs as he was going to see Yeosang, knowing that he had a shoot, he was going to use the opportunity of Hongjoong leaving to do so, since it’s been a while and he thought that maybe Yeosang has dropped the act but of course, he does what he’s best as doing; lie.

“I would love that but I unfortunately can’t, I called Chan to meet up so we can buy some equipment together.” Hongjoong pouts but lights up again “We can go now, we can have some brunch together.” he wraps his arms around Seonghwa’s torso as he was getting dressed.

Hongjoong was just way too delighted to have a little impromptu date with him.

“How about later this afternoon since I don’t want to be in a rush when I’m with you, we can go to that bakery you liked and we can even get some for Jongho before we drop him off for his lessons and we can stay at your old studio, maybe do something more.” he suggests, enticing the younger man who cluelessly agreed, the smile on his face only getting bigger

“Definitely! Give me a call when you're done, I’ll wait for you at the store.”

After Hongjoong left, Seonghwa set off to see Yeosang, unaware that the younger had replied to him, telling him to not come because one, he’s with a friend who he was working with for the shoot and two, there were people from the media who found out about their schedules and are currently surrounding the area.

Hongjoong hums as he comes through the doors of his store and San surely noticed it since he heard it and it was very noticeable that he is happy through how he looked

“Well hello beautiful, you are looking radiant today,” San says, smirking “Talked to that redhead or something?” he teases, Jongho had told San all about his Mingi Hyung when Hongjoong took him to work one day.

And being the curious friend that he is, he interrogated Hongjoong about him after Jongho was just gushing over how Mingi liked his papa, Jongho made sure that San keeps it a secret though.

Hongjoong just tells San that there wasn’t anything to suggest as they were merely friends but the younger held this against him, even moreso when he found out how Jongho was beginning to like Mingi more that his own daddy but San just views it as Seonghwa being a little busy with work and Jongho being affectionate.

“I am just happy today Sannie, is that a crime?” San rolls his eyes at the cheesy answer

“Oh shut up, you look like you’re in love all over again.” San teases, sharing about how sweet Mingi is, not only towards him but towards Jongho as well, as by the sound of it, Mingi was treating Jongho as his own.

But it didn’t take long before San clears his throat, fixing his posture “Listen, on a more serious note,” Hongjoong listens intently as he watched his friend twiddle his fingers, looking as if he was preparing to say something.

“How did you, how did you react when Jongho entered your lives?” Hongjoong's lips form into a an _"o"_ shape “Did something happen?” Hongjoong asks anticipating his answer

“I- You know how we haven’t been able to babysit Jongho for quite a while now, almost a month or two now,” Hongjoong nods, waiting for what he wants to say next

“Someone left a little boy in our doorstep a month ago,” Hongjoong was surging with eagerness at the news “Wooyoung's schedule has been tweaked and he's working part time for now but he's doing his side-job online and that's because he’s taking care of him and processing the papers, he’s been very hands on.” San relays and Hongjoong just hugs him, bouncing with joy and making San laugh because he knows how Hongjoong has always been so supportive when San asks about starting a family

“What’s his name? Oh gosh, I would love to see him!” San brings his phone out, showing him a photo of Wooyoung holding the said little baby.

His cheeks were rosy and round, eyes closed and his long lashes were gently laid upon his under eye area, his hair was thick and as black as the night sky and his little fingers were wrapped around Wooyoung's pinky finger as he fed him through a bottle.

“Oh he’s so small,” he gasps and San shows him the next photo of their little one’s hand in his and he just coos at the size different

“We’ve named him Hyesung, because he came in like a comet, pretty unpredictable but beautiful.” San smiles before keeping his phone

"And maybe since Jongho has been wanting a little brother, he can be his little brother." San says with a giggle and Hongjoon smiles, telling him that Jongho would be happy to meet their little Hyesung.

“God, you’re gonna be such good parents Sannie, how are his adoption papers coming along? We certainly had some difficulties considering we weren’t married when we had Jongho.” he asks, telling him that he will help if ever there were some blunders since he knows some people at social services who will be able to help with the process.

“It’s turning out positive, they’ve checked our home and we literally baby-proofed everything before they came, we were so nervous that-"

San pauses before his eyes went wide "Oh gosh! I forgot to tell you!” San screams and Hongjoong wonders what it may be

“Shit! He proposed to me that night before the social worker was coming in the morning and it just came out of nowhere!” he shows off the simple ring wrapped around his finger and Hongjoong was quick to inspect it, recognizing it as one of the rings that Wooyoung had bought in his own store months prior and he was ecstatic.

“I was holding Hyesung then because I was rocking him to sleep and thank fucking God I didn’t drop him after I was so surprised.” San shared that he thought Wooyoung was joking and they bickered for a bit before San ends up asking for the ring to wear it but Wooyoung ends up kneeling in front of him after San puts Hyesung down on his crib to show that he was dead serious about his proposal.

Hongjoong could not believe what he was hearing, he almost bawled since he’s known Wooyoung and San for so long and the news of them being engaged and having a child of their own was just amazing.

They’ve always been inseparable and Hongjoong had always teased them about getting married so he can design their suits and by the looks of it, it won’t be long before they tie the knot.


	16. Chapter 16

“Hwa? I told you not to come! There’s people from Dispatch littering the place, they are almost everywhere.” Yeosang says as soon as he opens the door of his hotel room where he was resting in after the shoot

“I doubt they saw me come in,” he pulls his mask down before leaning in and giving Yeosang a quick peck on the lips as the hallways was seemingly empty, thinking that they rented out the entire floor so no one will disrupt the shoot and he just lets his guard down but they were very oblivious that snapshots were already taken of them.

“What are you doing here? I said I needed space.” the younger says firmly, gliding on the floor and into the bed, he was only dressed in a robe as he had just gotten out of the shower

“What has been up with you lately? What’s with the attitude, little dove?” he questions while Yeosang rolled his eyes

“Are you upset that I haven’t reached out to you even after your little bratty tantrum.” Seonghwa taunts, approaching him all while Yeosang had his back turned to him.

“Fuck no.” Yeosang mumbles, picking at the chocolate covered strawberry he was gifted right after the shoot, biting onto them, not even caring as the juices dribbled down his chin and on to his robe

“Then what’s wrong little dove? You can always tell me.” Yeosang doesn’t answer, as he looks over at the window, looking at the view.

He doesn’t realize that Seonghwa had joined him on the bed, tugging at the back of his robe and pulling him into the center of the bed, pinning him down on the soft mattress and pulling him into a bruising kiss.

A kiss in which Yeosang was a little resistant to but Seonghwa didn’t know that. Seonghwa uses his knee to spread Yeosang’s legs while Yeosang just lies on the bed like a ragdoll, feeling quite numb if he’s being honest.

“Hey Sangie, I got- Oh dear God.” Yeosang gasps at Changbin’s voice coming from his door, the silver-haired model stops his tracks at the sight and Yeosang was quick to get up from the bed, fixing his robe to cover himself as he completely disregards Seonghwa on his bed

“Sang, we talked about this,” Changbin mumbles, holding him quite protectively as he glared at Seonghwa and he felt that Yeosang was at a panic as he’d been caught after what he promised

“Binnie, I know, I just didn’t have the time to do so,” he says in a hushed tone as he didn’t want Seonghwa to hear what he had to say and Changbin pushes him behind his back, so he can be face to face with Seonghwa who had not stepped away from the bed, standing over the edge with a confused look on his face 

“Park Seonghwa, right?” Changbin questions, looking up at him, despite the photographer being taller than him, he wasn’t scared, he was just looking out for his friend and he’s willing to do anything just to get help him with his moral compass as he knew how Seonghwa had gotten into his head.

“And from what I’ve known, you are married,” he takes another step forward and not once did he stop himself from protecting Yeosang behind his back

“Does your dear husband know what you’ve been doing behind his back?” he taunts and Seonghwa looks as if he was ready to lunge at him but Changbin stays unbothered.

He works in a demanding industry, he knows how to stand up for himself and he’s not going to let a cheating asshole who just so happens to have a status in the hierarchy intimidate him.

“I’m sure my Sangie here hasn’t told you what he wanted but since I am here, I will do it for him,” Yeosang springs up into action as he circles around Chanbin, getting in between them and pressing his palms on Changbin’s chest so he wouldn’t take another step

“Binnie, please, please, I’ll handle this, I can handle this.” he pleaded, feeling like Seonghwa was shooting daggers into him despite the older man being behind him.

Changbin bites his bottom lip as he gives Seonghwa one last stare before softening his features as he looks down at Yeosang “Just get it done, okay baby? I don’t want any of this to come out and I don’t want you hurting yourself anymore.” Changbin whispers before he boldly kisses his cheek and with that he leaves the room, promising Yeosang that he will come back.

“Who- What the fuck was that?” Seonghwa seethes, pulling Yeosang back quite harshly

“Can you calm the fuck down, he’s a friend Hwa,” he jerks his arm away from him, rubbing it as it hurt.

Yeosang sighs as he didn’t want Seonghwa to berate him about Changbin

“Just, don’t mind him, he won’t say anything to the public.” Yeosang mutters, getting back on the bed as he unties the knot of his silk robe

“Just forget about him, come here and make me feel good.'' His demeanor did a 180 as he took his robe off completely, showing Seonghwa his full glory and sinking down on the bed as if it was a physical invitation because he knows it’s the only way to get Seonghwa’s mind off it and eventually get off his back for his recent behavior.

Yeosang was tired of being someone’s dirty little secret, it’s all he’s ever been and it’s all he’s going to be if he continues to latch himself to Seonghwa.

Reconnecting with his friends talked him into ending his affair with the photographer, especially Changbin who was very much against cheating in general.

He knows that Seonghwa is just infatuated with him, always claiming how his husband is a frigid little boy and Yeosang is like a feisty fox.

His fucked up sense of mind made him latch into Seonghwa almost at an instant but he knows deep inside that Seonghwa is just with him for the thrill of it but he didn’t care as he found someone who was somewhat decent enough.

It wasn’t supposed to go this far but it somehow did because he was so goddamn enticed by the idea of love.

He loved the feeling of being loved even if it wasn’t true.

⚝──⭒─⭑─⭒──⚝

On the other side of the spectrum, Hongjoong decided to pick up Jongho from school because he was excited to tell Mingi about his plans.

He deviated from his original plan with Seonghwa, deciding that they’d just have dinner altogether after Jongho’s guitar lessons and the free time would give Hongjoong the time to set up and fix all his equipment and maybe even re-decorate his studio because he was fully serious about getting back into producing.

Fortunately, he arrived just as the bells ring, signaling that the day had ended for the students and he runs up the steps to get inside the building, he was careful that he wouldn’t bump into the children who were all eager to go home and relax after a full day of learning.

“Papa!” Jongho pipes up, running towards him as soon as he gets inside their classroom

“Hey baby, did you have fun today?” Jongho nods before looking at Mingi who was innocently straightening the chairs and collecting some of the papers that had been left on the desks

“Papa, I think Mingi Hyung-” Mingi was mortified at the mention of his name and claps his hands, laughing nervously as he walks towards them

“Don’t listen to him, Hongjoong-ssi.” the redhead says as stuttered laughs escaped his mouth and when Hongjoong looks up at him with a delicate smile, he felt his heart flutter and he tells himself on the inside to calm down

“It’s nothing bad, right?” Mingi shakes his head, assuring him that it was nothing but Hongjoong was still curious.

“Oh, it can’t be nothing if Jongho wants to tell me, so what is it?” Hongjoong pressed, eager to know what they’ve talked about

“Mingi Hyung thinks you’re pre-” Mingi clears his throat before covering Jongho’s mouth gently to prevent him from saying anything further

“Hush Jongho, don’t snitch on Hyung.” he reminds, this made Hongjoong chuckle as he noticed how Jongho was always just full of giggles and joy whenever he’s with Mingi, by the looks of it he was more comfortable with Mingi whom he knew for months rather than Seonghwa who basically raised him.

But Hongjoong doesn’t think too much about it because he was happy to see Jongho being happy, considering that the redheaded teacher was slowly bringing him out of his shy nature.

He was always so happy to tell him stories about the new friends he made in his guitar lessons and telling him that his Mingi Hyung always tells him to keep it up, he shares how during their break times, he would show Mingi the new songs he learned and at times he’d learn new songs from him.

“But Hyung, what if you were with-” Mingi squeaks, hushing him instantly, telling him that it’s a secret and he shouldn’t tell

“Fine, only our secret!” Jongho pinky promises with him to seal the deal.

Hongjoong pouts, huffing as he claims that he feels left out and Mingi was quick to coo at him

“It’s nothing bad Hongjoong-ssi, I promise you!” Mingi claimed, showing off his charming smile which made Hongjoong’s pout curl up into a smile as well before excusing himself to use the restrooms before they leave

“I don’t want to be disrupted while I check out my equipment.” he says and Mingi caught what he said, taking it as a hint.

“Equipment?” Hongjoong doesn’t say anything, just winking at him before leaving Mingi in the classroom while Jongho collects his things.

This left Jongho with Mingi and the redhead playfully glares at the child who was smiling innocently

“You almost broke your promise Jongie.” Mingi says with a pout, helping him wear his jacket while the little one just laughs

“Papa said I must not tell lies and sometimes you look at Papa the way Daddy used to and you teach me stuff and spend time with me.” Mingi nestles himself on to Mingi’s lap, hugging him tightly “Want you to be my daddy!” Jongho proclaims and Mingi felt his heart swell at the child’s proclamation but he just pats his the crown of his head

“Ah Jongho, your dad loves you just as much, he’s working hard for you and your papa, I’m sure he will be sad if he found out that you want me to be your dad.” Mingi reminds, hoping he would be able to understand.

Jongho whines, kicking his feet for a few seconds before speaking up again

“But Daddy already has Yeosang Hyung! Papa only has Jongie but Jongie want you to be with papa instead!”

Mingi was taken aback by what the boy had said and he raises his brow at the name that Jongho dropped

“Yeosang Hyung?” Jongho nods, looking at him with his big eyes “Papa said I must not tell lies but Daddy said that I shouldn’t tell Papa about what I saw but you’re not papa so I can tell you.” Mingi was sure that these weren’t just pointless babbles as he puts Jongho down on the ground

“What did you see Jongie?” he asks, wanting to see if what Jongho is about to tell him will be consistent with the story

"You won’t tell Papa, right? Don’t wanna get in trouble with Daddy if he knew I told on him.”

Mingi plays along, shaking his head so that Jongho will tell him what he has been keeping for God knows how long

“Well, I saw Daddy and Yeosang Hyung kissing like how Daddy used to kiss Papa but Daddy said that I shouldn’t tell Papa about it.” 

And that’s when Mingi knew he was fucked.

He had uncovered something that one, might be the reason for Jongho’s odd behavior at first, it would explain the nightmares that he’s had and it might be the answer to Hongjoong’s worried.

Secondly, this was something that he wasn’t supposed to know because what happens between the married couple wasn’t supposed to be his business but now he’s tangled in the web and he just knows that he won’t be able to sleep soundly that night or the nights that will follow.


	17. Chapter 17

The thought of knowing something vital that may or may not be still happening in someone else’s relationship had been eating Mingi up for the past few days since the afternoon that Jongho told him about what he saw happen between Seonghwa and Yeosang. He’s connected the dots and understood as to why Jongho was more comfortable with him as opposed to his own father.

He now understands why he was pushing him towards Hongjoong and the thought of Jongho witnessing his own dad with another person apart from his husband was gut-wrenching to Mingi as it was something a child shouldn’t be witnessing nor be a part of.

It was a rainy saturday afternoon and he thought of visiting his friend’s cafe since the weather was perfect to get some hot chocolate but he also needed someone to talk to in terms of the situation he uncovered, he needed to know if he should be telling Hongjoong about what Jongho told him since it’s all that clouded his mind whenever he looks at them.

He slips inside his car, blowing hot air into his cold hands caused by the cool weather caused by the rain, his heart was pounding as he thought about it, he is sure that he’s the only one who knows about it as Jongho did say to not tell anyone about it. Thoughts fogged up his mind as he drove to the cafe, trying to find a way to bring it up to the blue haired man when he sees him again.

“Look who came to finally visit me.” Hwanwoong says rather regally as soon as he sees the redhead coming through the doors, a little damp due to the drizzle of rain since he had to run from his car to the building.

“You know how busy I’ve been,” Mingi tells him with a small smile, tapping his fingers on the counter as he orders a hot chocolate with extra whipped cream “Oh and I kinda need to talk to you about something.” He mumbles as soon as Hwanwoong gives him his credit card back after putting his order in

“Anything serious?” Mingi doesn’t say anything else but knowing the look on his face caused Hwanwoong to just nod, telling him he’ll sit with him once he finishes his order so Mingi can rant to his heart’s desire upon what’s been bothering him.

“Okay, here we go, Hot chocolate with extra whipped cream and because I can sense you’re a tad sad and I am the best person in your life, I added some chocolate shavings to make you feel better.” Hwanwoong says as he sets the mug down in front of Mingi while holding his own cup of coffee to energize himself for when he takes over the counter again

“So, what did you want to talk about?” he asks, taking a sip as he waits for his friend’s answer as he looks as if he was in deep thought.

“Well, you see, I think I like some-” 

“Fucking finally Mingi!” Hwanwoong gasps, setting his mug down carefully after scaring Mingi with his reaction as he was scared that the force he exuded would break the porcelain “What?” Mingi tilts his head, questioning his reaction as he puts a hand on his chest

“Are you finally over Gunhak?” Hwanwoong questions, he wasn’t a big fan of Mingi’s ex but he wasn’t a bad guy or something, rather a little emotionally unavailable but he’s never hurt Mingi intentionally.

They’ve ended everything on good terms but Hwanwoong still despises him even though Mingi tells him that he has nothing to worry about since he was a sweetheart.

“Back to what I originally have to say before I was rudely interrupted,” Mingi clears his throat as he talks in a hushed tone, diverting the topic back to what he had to say and Hwanwoong nods, chuckling and apologizing for his behavior

“Let’s say that I may have found out that this person’s partner is or has cheated on them, I have been carrying the burden for days on end but I don’t know if I am in the right to tell him.” Hwanwoong leans back, brows furrowed at the serious situation that Mingi has been tangled in because this was something else.

“What have you gotten yourself into Min?” he questions, worried that his friend will get caught in the crossfire if it ever gets exposed and Mingi just looks to him for advice and Hwanwoong sighs

“I mean, if you’re somewhat friends with this person, it’s best to let him know rather than letting him sit in the dark like an idiot, clueless as to what his partner is up to,” Mingi nods at every word he said, listening intently at what he has to say about the situation, keeping note of it in his mind

“If you do like this person, which I hope you do because good God, you deserve a boyfriend. Tell this person about what is going on and be there for them, better now than never.” 

And It was as if fate was playing tricks on him when his eyes fall on to the familiar crown of bright blue hair enter the cafe, alongside him was his little boy looking rather happy in his yellow raincoat.

In his eyes, Hongjoong was rivaling the radiance of the sun, he looked healthier and was a shining beacon in the gloomy weather, even more so since he was matching with his son, brightening up the room in his yellow hoodie which reminded him of Coraline if he was honest. 

Hongjoong was the ideal man if he was being honest but Mingi knows his boundaries and would rather just be friends with him rather than pursue him as he is married man. But he wouldn’t really hesitate to ask him out on a date if he was single.

Hwanwoong lets out a chuckle at the sight of his friend who can’t seem to look away from the man who just entered and he assumed that this was who he grew a liking to

”You’ll catch flies, darling.” he teases as he puts a hand on Mingi’s chin, pushing his jaw up and he takes a look at the person who had just come in and he couldn’t deny that he is a beauty, he would definitely snatch him up as well.

“Mingi Hyung!” the sound of little feet tapped on the concrete floor and before he knows it little Jongho was hugging his leg, giggles escaping his mouth

“How’d you know it was me?” Mingi quizzes and Jongho points at his red hair before getting carried by Mingi and sitting him up on the empty seat next to him

“Hey Mingi, pleasure seeing you here.” Hongjoong smiles, patting his face as some of the rain water had splashed him a bit.

“Hi Hongjoong-ssi, how are you?” he asks politely, offering him a seat and the older scoffs

“Mingi, please just call me Hongjoong and I’ve been okay, I have something to pick up later on but cravings were calling hence why we’re here.” he replies before he turns to the person who was unknown to him.

“I’m Hwanwoong, Mingi’s friend.” the blonde introduces, smiling brightly and to Hongjoong, he was much like the sunshine with a big, contagious smile, quite charming if he may add

“I’m Hongjoong, a friend of Mingi’s too, this is my son, Jongho, he’s Mingi’s student, hence why we became friends.” Hwanwoong nods, asking him what he would like to order but the blue haired man immediately tells him that he’ll just have coffee and a strawberry milkshake for Jongho “Coming right up.  
Hwanwoong gracefully glided back to the counter to prepare them and Hongjoong follows so he can pay.

He was on his way back to their table when the sound of his phone ringing causes Hongjoong to groan “Oh gosh, I thought I had the time to eat,” he grumbles as he had just gotten there and out of the rain “Jongho, can you wear-”

“Hongjoong, I can look after him, you won’t be long, right?” the shorter nods

“You’d really do that?” Mingi laughs, assuring him that he will keep an eye for him so that Jongho won’t have to be under the gloomy weather again. Hongjoong thanks him before reminding Jongho to behave and that he will be back in no time.

Mingi took it upon himself to order a strawberry shortcake for Jongho, remembering that Hongjoong had mentioned that it’s his favorite comfort food while he gets a crepe for Hongjoong

“Man, you are whipped.” Hwanwoong sighs dreamily as he watches Mingi dotes on Jongho, helping him with his dessert and cutting them up.

“Mingi Hyung, what’s whipped?” Jongho asks making Hwanwoong snicker at his innocent question “It means in-love.” Mingi slaps Hwanwoong, shooing him away but Jongho caught on to this, lips forming into an _“o”_ shape

“Do you like like my papa, hyung?” he asks, emphasizing the words _“Like”_ and this made Mingi blush a bit, Jongho already knows but with Hwanwoong around, he’s sure that he’s going to accompany Jongho in teasing him 

“Judging by how red he is, he sure does little one.” Hwanwoong assures, patting Jongho’s head all while Mingi was hiding his face, waiting for the flush in his cheeks to fade away before Hongjoong comes back.

It took a good 10-15 minutes before Hongjoong came back, Mingi laughed at him because he was carrying what seemed to be a bag of fabric that was almost engulfing his tiny form but the taller was quick to help him before he could drop anything and this gave Hongjoong that chance to tell him about his new project, telling him that he’d love to dabble into making more clothing for children as inspired by Jongho.

He thanks Mingi for the desserts because it surprised him as to how Mingi remembered what they liked before eating them

“How have you been? You’re looking better.” Mingi asks and it was as if the light in Hongjoong’s eyes brightened up even more

“Well, I am going to fully come back to producing!” he says giddily, taking out his phone and showing him the set-up to his studio, his computer screens were on and there Mingi saw the process of him making a song

“That’s great Hongjoong! I can’t wait to listen to it!” he cheers on as well.

Hongjoong looked so happy and Mingi can’t bring himself to ruin that as he wants to see Hongjoong’s smile for the entirety of the day but he knows that this was his chance to tell him as he also carried the burden of it and he wouldn’t be able to get a lick of sleep if he doesn’t get it out of his chest and he didn’t want Hongjoong to be toyed around if he kept it to himself even longer.

Mingi bites the bullet and lets out a sigh, his hands balling into a fist and he feels his nails dig into the palm of his hand

“Hongjoong, I have something to tell you, well, more like Jongho has something to tell you.” Jongho immediately tenses up and his eyes darts toward his Hyung as he drops his spoon into his plate “Hyung, you said you wouldn’t tell!” he knew what his hyung was going to say as he was acknowledged

“Jong, didn’t you tell me that your Papa said you must not tell lies.” he reminds a soft smile painted on his lips as he cups the child’s cheek, letting him know that it will be okay.

“I’m a little lost here, what is going on?” Hongjoong asked, reaching out to Jongho who looked like he was going to cry which scared Hongjoong as it might be what had bothered him and perhaps he’s told Mingi anout it

“Mingi, what is it that you know?” he turns his attention to the teacher

“Hongjoong, Jongho has told me something rather alarming but I think it’s better if he tells you as he was the one who saw it.” Jongho’s lips were wobbling as he switched his eyes from his hyung and his papa, he was fisting at his shirt as he felt scared to tell his papa.

“Jongie, you know you can tell me anything, right?” Hongjoong comforts, brushing his hair back to calm him down since he saw how his knuckles were turning white from how hard he was clutching on his shirt

“Go on, your papa won’t be mad at you.” Mingi quietly encourages

“O-okay.” he hiccups but just as Jongho was going to tell him, the sound of Seonghwa’s name being mentioned in the television called their attention.

_“Model Kang Yeosang and famedd photographer, Park Seonghwa was spotted getting too close for comfort during the model’s photoshoot at the Lotte Hotel, sources say that Park had kissed Kang just as the model opened the door as well as going in and not coming out for hours.”_

_“Netizens are shocked to hear the news as it is widely known that Park Seonghwa is married and everyone is questioning as to how his husband, Hongjoong is taking in all of the news as there have been no updates.”_

Hongjoong felt as if his heart stopped beating when photos as well as the video were casted on the screen and he sees how Seonghwa had kissed Yeosang and following him inside the room

“That’s not true, that’s, Seonghwa would never do that.” he was in denial as he tore his eyes away from the screen and Mingi took it upon himself to cover him up, not wanting other people to see and recognize him as he knows they will mostly bombard him with questions that will only stress him out even more.

“Jongho, please tell me,” Hongjoong’s voice was squeaky as the tears fell from his cheeks, his chest was hurting over what was said in the news but he needed to hear it from Jongho

“Does it have anything to do with that?” he pointed at the screen, he feels like it took an eternity as Jongho switches his gaze back and forth and the moment Jongho nodded, Hongjoong just wanted the floor to swallow him whole.

Jongho sniffles as he clutches onto Mingi’s index and middle finger

“What did you see baby?” Hongjoong sounded desperate but he needed to know, part of him wanted to think that it wasn’t Seonghwa, that it was just someone who happened to look like him, he wanted it to be just a mere misunderstanding.

“Papa, I saw- I saw Daddy kissing Yeosang Hyung and- and Daddy told me not to tell you.”


	18. Chapter 18

Hongjoong felt as if his whole world had stopped and started to slowly crumble. He was so out of it that he didn’t even know how he had gotten home, he was just staring blankly at the wall of their house as everything still hasn’t fully sink into him.

Mingi had wrapped a blanket over him as he had gotten wet from the rain from when they left the café “I’ll get Jongho changed, okay? I know you wouldn’t want him to get sick.” Hongjoong can only nod, thanking Mingi silently as he puts down a mug of chamomile tea since he knew it would calm down the blue haired man.

“Mingi,” Hongjoong held onto his wrist with little to no force “Yes? Is there anything else you need?” the smaller man shakes his head

“Will you stay? Please?” it was a mere whisper but enough for the redhead to hear and he pats his head “I’ll stay as long as you need me, just rest for a bit, okay? I’ll tend to Jongho.” 

As Mingi was going up the stairs, he finds Jongho all the way at the top, already in his pajamas as he plays with his fingers, as if waiting and listening

“What are you doing here, hm?” Mingi hums as he picks him up, bouncing him in his arms as he lets Jongho point where his room is

“Is Papa gonna be okay, Hyung?” Mingi didn’t know whether he should be honest or lie just so he wouldn’t worry

“Just keep an eye on him when I leave, okay? He asked me to stay but when I go, you have to look after him.” Jongho narrows his eyes as he looks down at the floor of his bedroom while Mingi tries to find something to keep him distracted from the chaos that was unfolding

“Did I make papa sad? Because I told him?” Mingi immediately shakes his head, going back to him, drying the child’s damp hair as he promised Hongjoong he’ll take care of Jongho for a bit. 

“Is it my fault that Daddy did that?”

Mingi was taken aback with what he had just heard, halting his actions in an instant at the thought that Seonghwa made him feel that way

“No, no, of course not! Why would you think that?” Mingi instinctively hugs him, feeling his throat burn.

“Cause daddy has said that all Papa does is spend time with me and maybe Daddy stopped loving Papa because of me.” Jongho mumbles against his chest, his voice a little muffled but Mingi could tell that he was about to cry.

“No, don’t ever think that way, Jongho, none of this was ever your fault, do you understand?” Jongho was unresponsive as he avoided eye contact, even though a tear had fallen on top of Mingi’s hand “You need to understand that none of this was your fault and it has never been your fault, okay?”

As Mingi comforts Jongho in his room, Hongjoong was left alone in the living room, his thoughts were beginning to eat him up and he felt the room getting smaller and smaller, questioning himself as to where he went wrong with the relationship.

His phone was being blown up with countless of calls and text messages which had fallen into deaf ears as all he could do was look at the framed photos on their wall, all those sweet memories that felt like a lie.

His eyes landed on the photo of his first date with Seonghwa, it was honestly one of the most blissful days that Hongjoong had since it was the first time he’d gone on a date where someone had respected him and waited until he was fully ready to become more serious.

His eyes well up with tears when he spots their wedding photo as it feels as if it meant nothing; he brings his knees up to his chest as he begins to sob again, unable to control his emotions anymore and he felt as if he was gasping for air over how painful it was.

Mingi had heard his pained cries echo through the halls and he told Jongho to stay put as he went downstairs to see what was happening with Hongjoong.

His heart felt heavy when he sees Hongjoong curled up into a ball, crying his eyes out and Mingi can’t even imagine how torturous it must have felt

“Joong, it’s okay,” Hongjoong just sobs even more as he wraps himself around Mingi, crying on to the crook of his neck and wetting his shirt with his warm tears, the redhead didn’t care as he just holds him, feeling how his body shook at the severity of how he was crying, it was better for Hongjoong to let everything out

“I’m here, I’m here.” He hushes him, running his fingers through his damp hair as a way to soothe him even just a little.

They stayed in that position for quite a while until Mingi felt that his body had calmed down but he didn’t let go of his hold and neither did Hongjoong .

“Open the fuck up!” Mingi flinches at the sound of a fist banging on the front door, Hongjoong didn’t move as he continues to cling on Mingi

“I have to go get it,” Hongjoong shakes his head, clutching into his clothes “Do-Don’t l-leave-”

“I won’t leave, I just have to open the door and see who it is.” he tries loosening his grip but it was to no avail and he sighs, he maneuvers his way into carrying Hongjoong up in his arms as he makes his way towards the door, opening it without hesitation.

“You fucking ass- oh,” San’s demeanor changes when he sees how Hongjoong was wrapped around Mingi and he pushes Mingi inside, letting him set Hongjoong back on the couch and there he saw the extent of his best friend’s state

“Baby, come here. Sannie’s here.” he takes him in his arms, hushing him as he takes over in hugging and comforting him

“I’ll take care of him, thank you so much.” San tells Mingi who immediately pats Hongjoong’s head, wiping the tears away from his cheeks

“I’ll go now, Joong, take care of yourself.” he says with a soft tone and Hongjoong looks up at him

“Thank you.” he whimpers

“You’ll be okay, just calm down, I’ll check up on you when I get home.” the blue haired man nods as he lets himself be cradled by San, mumbling out soft-spoken apologies towards Mingi for being an inconvenience before falling asleep shortly after as he felt the exhaustion setting in from everything that had happened.

Mingi ended up exchanging numbers with San since he knew that Hongjoong wouldn’t be on his phone, San promised that he’ll keep him updated in regards to their condition before saying goodbye to him.

⚝──⭒─⭑─⭒──⚝

Hongjoong woke up in a cold sweat when he doesn’t feel San around him anymore, he immediately got up, making his chest hurt from how he moved in an instant as his body was still adjusting

“Sannie?” he rubs his eyes, feeling like they were throbbing from all the crying he had done

“Papa?” he immediately whips his head to see Jongho, hiding behind one of the single seater couch, as if fearful about what had happened.

Hongjoong sees his puppy dog eyes and he immediately wipes his nose “Hey baby, come here,” Hongjoong puts a small smile on his face as he calls for his son, who immediately clambered on to him, hugging him tightly making Hongjoong huff at his strength

“What would I do without you?” Hongjoong whispers, giving his temple a kiss as he held him.

“Are you okay papa?” Jongho asks, pulling away and cupping his cheeks, making Hongjoong let out a watery chuckle as he nods

“I’m okay baby, I promise.” he answers before checking the time, realizing that it was almost dinner time and he immediately gets up, hoisting Jongho up, uncaring about his aching muscles

“Are you hungry? I’m sorry I didn’t see what time it was,” Jongho tells him to sit back down as instructed by San

“Uncle Sannie is s making food, told me to tell you not to worry!” he says and this made Hongjoong sigh as he falls back into the couch

“Papa rest, that’s- that’s what you say to me when I’m tired.”

It was Jongho’s turn to kiss his papa’s cheek before he slid off him, running to the kitchen to tell his uncle that his papa was awake.

That’s the moment where he finally got hold of his phone that was plugged to a socket, he thinks that San must have done it for him while he was asleep.

There were multiple calls from his friends, some of his family members and of course, from Seonghwa himself, Hongjoong doesn’t do much as he just sends him a text to come home, not saying anything more as well as sending Mingi a text to tell him that he’s okay for now.

“Hey you, how are you feeling?” San asks, coming out of the kitchen and wrapping his arms around Hongjoong, rubbing their cheeks together as if they were felines

“You know what, don’t answer that.” San cups his mouth before helping him stand up, mentally kicking himself at the stupid question

“How about we get some food in your system and you can rest, I can’t imagine how tired you must be.”

They were about to head to the dining table when Hongjoong grabs his forearm, pulling him back and making San ask if there was something wrong.

“San, I need you to do something for me,” the younger nods “Anything Hyung.” 

San quickly did as he was told, calling Wooyoung to let him know that he will be bringing Jongho with him once he comes home and that Hongjoong will be following shortly.

While he was preparing Jongho’s belongings, as well as some of Hongjoong’s, the father and son were left to eat.

Jongho kept trying to cheer him up but much like his papa, he was also sad because he didn’t like seeing Hongjoong cry.

They were both the complete opposite of themselves from a few hours ago, mostly Hongjoong, his hair was a mess, eyes puffy from the tears he had shed, his voice was hoarse as well, he just felt and looked dull, the natural flush in his cheeks were gone and the glow in his eyes had grew dim.

After eating, Hongjoong had dressed up Jongho in warm clothing, explaining to him that they have to stay with his Uncles for a few days.

Promising him that he will see him once he settles what he needs to do for the night, Jongho was rightfully scared about the whole situation but promised to behave until his papa comes to him.

The sound of a car engine made all three of them quiet and Hongjoong immediately passed Jongho to San who carried him safely, he didn’t want Jongho to be part of what will ensue as he was too young to witness such things, he’s already seen enough and Hongjoong didn’t want to add more to it.

Seonghwa rushes towards San and Jongho upon seeing the younger help the little boy inside his car

“San? San! Where are you taking him?!” he yells but San kept his composure, shutting the car door and pushing Seonghwa away from trying to open it, even when Seonghwa grabs him, he didn’t seem fazed, just jerking himself away as he quickly runs inside the driver’s seat, not wanting to leave Seonghwa with a broken jaw.

When Seonghwa enters their home, it felt cold and Hongjoong was just sitting on the couch, arms folded over his lap, not even turning his head at the sound of the door

“Hongjoong, I’m home,” he doesn’t get a response from the blue haired man as it seems as if he was frozen on the spot

“Joong,” he lays a hand on his shoulder and that’s when he flinches, getting up to his feet and turning around, letting Seonghwa see how much of a fucking wreck he was because of what he did

“Hongjoong, let’s talk about-” Hongjoong doesn’t hesitate as the palm of his hand landed on Seonghwa’s cheek, stinging and bright red from the impact, the sound that of a crack of the lightning from how hard it was

“What should we talk about Hwa? Should I listen to the full story of how you went behind my back to fuck some model!” Hongjoong screams.

It was a rare sight but this was a tell-tale that Hongjoong was up to his limit and Seonghwa just looked at him, unable to say a word as he was seeing another side of Hongjoong.

“What was the reason Hwa? Was I becoming a boring fuck?” he held in the tears as he looked at his husband, feeling as if he didn't know him anymore, that this wasn’t the man he fell in love with.

“You could have just said that you didn’t love me anymore and call it a day, why would you string me along for so long!” he pushes him with all his strength but Seonghwa doesn’t seem to budge as he holds Hongjoong’s arms, trying to calm him down so they can talk in a civilized manner even though Hongjoong has all the right reasons to be in hysterics.

“Listen to me Hongjoong!” he shakes him but Hongjoong just pulls away from his grip, disgusted as his husband’s hand were just on him

“Enlighten me then Hwa, enlighten me with a half-assed explanation.” he stumbles back into one of the shelves, holding himself up as the overwhelming feelings engulfed his entire core

“You fucked him Hwa, you fucked him over and over again and you lied to me over and over, how fucking good was he, huh? He must have been such a pro for you to keep coming back to him.”

“You want to know Joong?” Seonghwa takes a step forward, feeling just as frustrated that he wasn’t even given the chance to talk 

“Fucking enlighten me, Park!” Hongjoong growls, feeling his chest vibrate from how hard he went

“I don’t love you anymore Joong, I haven’t felt what I used to in such a long time because you were always such a frigid little boy who was always so damn scared!” Seonghwa yells, throwing a vase out of frustration that hits the wall, causing a it to hit a mirror which shattered into little pieces, much like their relationship.

“How long Hwa? How long did it go on for?” Hongjoong’s voice was a mere whisper as he felt as if his heart was just clawing out of his chest after hearing that his husband didn’t love him anymore.

“It’s been over a year.” Hongjoong felt disgusted, not just with Seonghwa but with himself and another cry escaped his lips

“You- You mean to tell me that you’ve been fucking him on the side while you pretended to still love me, all those times where you were so rough with me, you were thinking of him, weren’t you?”

It felt as if Seonghwa exchanged their 10 year relationship for another person and he just fell to the floor, unable to keep himself up due to everything that he was hearing.

Hongjoong should have paid more attention to how his husband was treating him differently but he only realized way too late.

“I kept an open mind Hwa, I felt insecure that you were working with him, I told myself that it’s not going to affect up and I looked beyond all the rumors about him, I was warned by multiple people but I told them you weren’t stupid enough to do such a thing but in the end, I was the stupid little shit just because you wanted to get your cock wet.” 

It felt like everything that had happened has all been a lie, all the times that Seonghwa was intimate with him, all the nights where Seonghwa kissed him goodnight, all the _“I love you’s”_ they exchanged. 

“Were those business trips just a ploy to see him?” his voice cracks as he looks up at him and the expression on Seonghwa’s face was very telling and he just sighs, all hope was gone and he gets back up on his feet as he didn’t like feeling small

“You’ve accused me of cheating Hwa and all this time you were just projecting your actions towards me, you had the nerve to do it when all I’ve done is take care of our family.” 

He gives Seonghwa another backhanded slap as he remembers what he did to Jongho, he would hurt anyone who dares hurt his son, even if it is his own husband. No one and he means no one is allowed to make Jongho feel like that, not even them.

“You had the nerve to tell Jongho to hide it from me, do you have any idea how much distress he went through? What were you thinking?” Seonghwa doesn’t say another word, letting Hongjoong berate him as he knew how he was in the wrong for that and it completely pushed Jongho away from him

“You would rather risk his well-being just to keep his mouth shut, that is your own son, Seonghwa. What the fuck is wrong with you?”

“You can hurt me Hwa, you can hurt me all you want but you do not bring Jongho into your fucking mess. I want nothing to do with you anymore nor this fucking house, I am leaving and I’m taking Jongho with me.” he says with a stern tone before marching towards the door, not even giving Seonghwa a chance to appeal to him, he’d planned to stay at San’s for a few days until he can got back to the house and get some of his belongings before settling down in a small studio apartment that was under his name, it was supposed to be his studio for his work but it needed to be a home for now.

“Jongho and I were basically invisible while you had the time of your life with Yeosang, go back to him, I won’t stop you, you don’t love me anymore as you said.” Seonghwa races towards him, wrapping his arms around Hongjoong, preventing him from leaving.

“You can’t leave like this, Joong, you can’t.” he buries his face into the crook of his neck but Hongjoong pries his hands off him, pushing Seonghwa away as he puts his hand up

“Never touch me again Park or else.” He warns, feeling filthy after what he had done and he gives him one last look as he slips off his wedding ring and engagement ring

“If you didn’t want any of this to happen, then you should've thought about the consequences before you put your hands on another man.”

He throws the his rings aside, not caring as to where they would fly off to, what once was his most treasured item was nothing to him now and he was tired of crying over something he could not change, part of him wanted to go back in time, back when they were happy but in those years, Seonghwa’s love slowly faded away.


	19. Chapter 19

The news of Seonghwa and Yeosang’s affair spread like wildfire, it was mentioned in news segments, articles upon articles spread online since Yeosang was always a target of the public’s eye, there were mixed reactions from it and Yunho could barely keep up as his phone was at the point that it might blow up.

He had a hard time getting inside the building that morning as there were flocks of reporters at the entrance, trying to get a glimpse and a word from the couple that had become infamous in an instant.

“God, what have you done Hwa?” he mutters as he goes through his computer to try and keep track of everything.

Seonghwa was nowhere to be seen anywhere in the building, he has contacted him yet he didn’t disclose where he was, he was keeping Hongjoong in check as well, worried about what is going on with him and Jongho over the past few days, he wanted nothing more than to see him but he couldn’t since there were reporters trailing him as well and he couldn’t risk their well-being.

He got up from his space, needing a cup of coffee as everything was just giving him a headache as he tried to put two and two together as to how they’ve fooled around under his nose for over a year, he is literally Seonghwa’s right hand man but how the fuck did he not see it happening.

He could hear some whispers as he passed down the halls but he’s had enough, he’s so tired of all the questions that were thrown at him, questions where he had no answers to.

No one knew what the full story is, the only people who knew are Seonghwa, Yeosang, and maybe Hongjoong, so he didn’t really comment when people ask him as they viewed him as the one closest to Seonghwa.

His heart almost jumped out of his chest when he opens one of the taller cupboards in the pantry, almost dropping his mug as he sees Yeosang curled up into a tiny ball, squinting at the light that had hit his eyes

“Yeosang?” the younger just swallows, it seemed as if he was hiding even though he looked all dolled up for a shoot

“What are you doing here?”

Part of him wanted to explode but he held his tongue as it looked like Yeosang had been crying, eyeliner and mascara tracks had run down his face, his lipstick had been smudged and there seemed to be a noticeable bruise on the corner of his lips and it made Yunho a bit worried.

“I-I’ll leave, I’m sorry.” he scrambles up to his feet, only to stumble back down to the floor as his legs felt like jelly but Yunho, despite his distaste towards him, helps him up, locking the door to the pantry as he sits Yeosang down on one of the stools

“I-I broke, I should have listened to my friends and- and cut it off but-” Yunho hushes him when he saw how Yeosang was stumbling with his words, he knew what Yeosang did was wrong but this wasn’t a one-sided fault as Seonghwa was also very much involved.

“What happened to you?” Yunho changes the subject as he sees more bruises on him, some were on his arm in the shape of fingerprints

“It’s nothing, doesn’t matter, it was made very clear that I deserved it and I do.” he mumbles, covering them with the sleeve of his shirt but Yunho presses, he gets that people were angry with him and for what he has done but physically hurting him was another story

“No, it’s not nothing, this happened under our watch, do you understand me, Yeosang?” His tone was stern but Yeosang just sighs

“Don’t worry about it, I just- Have you spoken to Seonghwa?” Yunho shakes his head, telling him that he doesn’t know where he is “I just want to let you know that there were some people who spotted Hongjoong at a law firm and talks of divorce are in the news,”

Yunho was shocked, it had only been a week since the news came out and he was worried for his friends’ safety and not only that, he was worried for what Jongho is possibly feeling, he’s never been that close with Seonghwa as he grew up and now he’s pushed him away even more for what he did to Hongjoong.

“I don’t know how I could sleep at night for what I did, I shouldn’t have let myself get swayed like that,” Yunho somewhat felt sympathetic towards him, he didn’t know much about Yeosang’s personal life but in the months that he’s been working with him, that was the first time he’s seen him vulnerable

“I was going to stop it, the day the media had found out but I was too late and I broke up his family.” Yeosang admits, covering his face out of shame as he just began to cry again “I should have known that all he wanted from me is my body,” his voice cracks.

Now that the cat was out of the bag, Seonghwa was quick to drop him and basically feed him to the wolves as he became even more of a target and Seonghwa was nowhere to be found, not once did he deny it nor tried to take the attention away from Yeosang, the young man was taking all the burden of it and not once did Seonghwa ever try to check up on him. He was fucking stupid to believe all those empty promises.

⚝──⭒─⭑─⭒──⚝

On the other side of the story, Hongjoong was terrified over leaving his friend’s apartment as he didn’t want to be followed by the people from news outlets nor did he want to be followed by Yeosang’s fans but he really needed to get out for that day since he was feeling bizarre flu-like symptoms again.

Wooyoung concluded that it was from the stress as well as his immune system bugging down since he hasn’t been eating right nor sleeping at the right time.

Jongho wasn’t in his best state as well but San lets him get close with Hyesung in order for him to get distracted, always letting him bottle feed him and take naps with him so that he wouldn’t feel alone in a home full of stressed out adults. Mingi has definitely kept a close eye on Jongho when he’s with school, much to Hongjoong’s relief since all he wants is his baby to be safe.

Despite what he was feeling, Hongjoong made sure he didn’t lack as a parent, he still gets him ready in the mornings, taking him to school and to his guitar lessons, helping him with his homework, overall spending time with him.

At times when he’s the first to wake up, he would make breakfast for everyone as a way to thank his friends for letting them stay.

Mingi didn’t lack as a friend to him either, always asking him how he is and telling him to take it easy since Jongho tells him everything he’s going through.

Hongjoong was thankful for the people that surrounded him as he felt as if he would just have a breakdown if he was to face it alone.

Hongjoong had his hood up as well as a face mask to conceal himself as he walked from a parking garage to the hospital, he didn’t want to park that far but he didn’t have much of a choice and his anxiety was off the roof as he feared being spotted, Wooyound had offered to accompany him but he declines as he knew that he had to take care of his own son.

While San had to manage the shop for a little while, especially since there were some new people hired who needed guidance.

All he needed to do was turn a corner and he would be close to the hospital’s grounds, completely unaware that some reporters had spotted him after following his car.

He jumps when he sees a flash of light coming from his side and that’s when his eyes widen as he tries to run, only to be stopped by a huge camera as well as a reporter, pushing the microphone in his face as she questions him.

He pushes past them, feeling his chest tighten as he tries to catch his breath, his anxiety was at its peak

“Leave me alone.” he pleads, his heart was beating at a dangerous rate and that’s when he crumbles into the ground, covering his ears as he tries to block everything out from his senses but it only seemed to get stuffier and louder.

“What the fuck is going on here!” A woman from inside the shop had yelled, shooing away the reporters that were quite stubborn before she crouched down to Hongjoong

“Are you okay, young man?” she asked, trying to lift his head up but he just kept crying, shaken from what had happened

“Deep breaths, were you heading to the hospital?” she asked but Hongjoong wasn’t able to answer and his breathing became labored and his eyes just rolled to the back of his head before he passes out, it didn’t take long before there were flashes from a camera pointed at their direction which disgusted the woman as she calls for some of the kind passersby to help her get him to the hospital.

Seonghwa didn’t think twice of running inside the hospital without anything concealing his identity. He felt his heart drop to his stomach upon receiving a call from an unknown number.

He thought it was someone from a media outlet and he was ready to decline it but he ended up accidentally answering it and he was glad that he did since it was a call coming from the hospital, informing him, as the patient’s emergency contact, that Hongjoong had been admitted into their care.

He had regret telling Hongjoong that he doesn’t love him as he still very much deeply cares about him, just as he got to the floor where Hongjoong is confined in he was blocked by one of the nurses doing their rounds

“Sir, you can’t go in there yet.” Seonghwa tried to keep getting in the room

“What do you mean I can’t go in there? My husband is there. This is bullshit!” he shouts, causing some heads to turn but he was still blocked from entering the room.

“The doctors are with him so I suggest you take a seat and wait until it is clear to go inside.” Seonghwa could hear the exhaustion in his voice and he just took a seat.

He buried his face into his hands, Hongjoong had shared beforehand that he had been told to take it easy and take care of himself as his health wasn’t at its best due to the overwhelming amount of stress he felt and he would never forgive himself if something happens to Hongjoong.

He knew that this was his fault, it wasn’t even supposed to be like this, no one was supposed to find out, it was as if the gates were opened and everything just flooded in.

It took him a couple of days to really realize what he had said to Hongjoong but he was still very much conflicted as to what he wanted but he never really wanted to lose Hongjoong.

“I assume you are the husband?” the doctor sat next to him and Seonghwa lifts his head up “Is he, is he okay? What happened?” he asks and the doctor nods

“He’s stable but he’s going to need some medication.” he hands him a medical receipt of all the medicine Hongjoong is going to need

“He was been admitted here for the same reasons before, he’s burnt out but this time his immune system started to shift, we’re assuming that he hasn’t been getting the proper nutrients as well as the hours needed when it comes to sleeping.” Seonghwa completely zoned out from what the doctor told him, itching to go inside and see him.

When he had the go signal to come in, Seonghwa didn’t waste another second as he enters and he sees Hongjoong lying flat on the bed, eyes closed, his naturally rosy cheeks were pale as well as his lips, he was hooked to a cannula for oxygen as well as an I.V drip to make sure he doesn’t get dehydrated.

“This is all my fault,” he sits down on the chair next to the bed, holding Hongjoong’s small, fragile hand

“This is my fault Joong.” 

“I love you so much, I love you and Jongho,” he whispers, caressing his cold cheek to warm him up a bit

“I fucked up Joong, I fucked up so bad because I was selfish.” he feels Hongjoong squirm and whimper before turning to his side, hand slipping away from his, almost as if he knew that it was Seonghwa holding him.


	20. Chapter 20

When Hongjoong woke up he felt another body pressed upon him, he felt warm as he was bundled all up but he can't seem to figure out where he was since the walls were rather unfamiliar but upon seeing the catheter and not to mention he was hooked up into a oxygen machine.

He put two and two together and realized he has been admitted to the hospital again.

What was supposed to be just a simple check-up ended up in him getting confined after his fainting episode that was triggered by his panic attack.

He sighs as he snuggles back into the person that was holding him as they might have called San from his phone since he was the last person he was in contact with.

As he was preparing to close his eyes once more to get some much needed sleep, he momentarily looks down to see a different person's hand since he knew what San's engagement ring looked like, hell, he was the one who designed it. He blinks his eyes a couple of times before realizing that it was Seonghwa who was holding him, judging from the wedding ring that was wrapped around his finger. 

Hongjoong immediately panic burst inside him like a ball of light as his chest heaves, his heart rate spiking up as he tries to wake up Seonghwa to make him leave.

“Hwa,” Hongjoong croaks out as he tries to pry his hand off him, he wanted to push him away and run away but at the same time he wanted Seonghwa to hold him, like how he used to before everything happened but he couldn’t just let Seonghwa think that all is well if he lets him do what he was doing.

Seonghwa needs to see the damage he's done since he was the reason why he is in the hospital in the first place.

“Hwa, let go, please,” he whimpers, his other hand was sore from the cannula inside his vein and every movement he made caused a shooting pain inside the area that made his eyes water.

“Let me just hold you for a while Joong,” he feels Seonghwa bury his face on the nape of his neck and Hongjoong lets out a soft cry, he needed Seonghwa but after what he had said and done, he just can’t, not anymore.

He's given up on him.

“I can’t Hwa, please, you’ve hurt me enough.”

A pained sound escaped his lips as he finally pushes Seonghwa’s hands away, pushing through the pain as he used his sore hand. He plead for him to get out of the bed and Seonghwa eventually complies after seeing how much pain Hongjoong was in, it was in his voice, in the way he moved and it was written all over his face.

“Hongjoong, please, let’s talk about this.” Seonghwa begs, sitting down on the chair next to his bed “What I said was completely untrue, I very much love you Joong, it was completely due to the heat of the moment.” he continues, only realizing too late that he couldn’t bear to lose his family over his stupid mistakes

“Hwa, you’re saying this now, only because you got caught, you never felt an ounce of regret in the year that you fucking went behind my back.” Hongjoong gasps out, his voice hoarse from the lack of water as well as a result from all the crying he’s done.

“I can’t do this anymore Seonghwa, not after what you did, I won’t be able to trust you the same way as I did.” Hongjoong voices out, unable to look at him as all he could remember is how he was betrayed

“I’m sorry,” Seonghwa whispers, he's never seen Hongjoong so unhealthy and broken, the last time he saw him in this state was when they were teenagers, before they got together.

“The doctor said you’re going to be okay, just be careful not to stress yourself out even further.” Hongjoong nods, turning away from Seonghwa and looking out the windows, burying his face into the pillow as he silently cried.

What happened in their relationship was like a mirror that had been broken; there is a possibility to fix it but the cracks will still be there as a reminder that it has been broken before and Hongjoong knows that every time he will look at Seonghwa, if they chose to continue their relationship, he will only be reminded of his infidelity and that is something that Hongjoong has been running away from all his life.

What had happened broke Hongjoong’s heart too much, to the point that it possibly couldn’t be fixed anymore, this wasn't a mere slip up where they fought about finances, a misunderstanding, or lacking time for each other, Seonghwa was unfaithful to him and it felt like a slap to his face since Seonghwa fucking knew the chaotic shit he went through.

Hongjoong's life was perfect at one point, he had loving and supporting parents, he was excelling in school, he was perfecting his craft in terms of music but it all came tumbling down like a sandcastle getting hit by a wave when he found out how his own mother was having an extramarital affair. It crushed his perspective of her as he felt like he didn't know her after that unfortunate moment.

It was one of contributing factors to his mental health since at that time his father had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and Hongjoong had to take care of him from time to time while balancing his school work, social life and his piano practices.

Although fortunately, they didn’t suffer much financially as his mother held a stable job and was in a respectable position and his father still managed to work from home up until he couldn’t anymore, so money wasn't really a contributing factor as to why his mother committed those actions.

It took one singular night and it changed how he viewed his family, it completely warped his mind that he didn’t even know what was real or not real in terms of how his parents acted.

He was only 14, almost 15 years old then and even as he grew into adulthood, the memory is still very much engraved into his mind as he constantly told himself that he didn't want that to happen to his own family.

The memory was as clear as day, he still remembers the day he burst inside their front door with a smile so bright that it would rival the sun, he was full of excitement as he ran all the way home because he wanted to tell his parents that he had been chosen to be in a competition for classical music since he was considered the best pianist in their school.

He received nothing but praise from his father who was the one pushed him into his love for music since he saw the potential and drive in his son at such a young age.

His mother on the other hand, just excused herself since Hongjoong saw that she was all dressed up even though he knew that she was already off work but Hongjoong was excited at the thought that perhaps she will buy him a cake to celebrate the good news since it was always something they did whenever he had high marks in his report card, when he wins a competition, even when it was as simple as receiving a high score in a exam.

However, he felt the whole world crash down on him on the same night.

The smile on his face was wiped away when he came across his mother getting inside an unfamiliar car just a few blocks away from the convenient store he frequented at, he was given money by his father to buy some ice cream so they can celebrate together while his mother was out.

And he accidentally saw something else; the sight of his mother kissing another man, he felt like he was punched in the stomach and the air getting knocked out of his lungs

He ends up going back home, a melancholic expression on his face and he ends up throwing his own frozen treat inside the fridge, excusing himself as he lied about wanting to study the music sheets he was given, his father lets him go, telling him to not overwork before Hongjoong locks himself inside his room as he felt sick to the stomach.

He never got any sleep that night nor the days that followed because he had been so scared of the nightmares that plagued him in what is supposed to be a peaceful time of the night.

Despite what he saw, he never confronted her about what he saw and his mother failed to notice his sudden resentment towards her but it didn’t go unnoticed to his dad as he asked him if there was something wrong since he had grown worried about him.

Hongjoong gained some courage to ask him a hypothetical question regarding his mother cheating and he did get an answer but it was one that he didn’t expect, an answer that completely shocked him.

His father confessed that he knew of his wife’s extramarital affair, he knew that she had been unfaithful to him for quite a while.

Hongjoong couldn’t believe that his father just let it go on, even questioning him why he would just let her do that, why he would just let her hurt him over and over.

But the man had his reasons as to why he never spoke about it and this made Hongjoong even more grateful towards his dad as he was really doing the most.

He tells his son that he wanted him to grow up with both of his parents since it was something he never had as a child and he was willing to get hurt every single day because his wife didn't love him like she used to.

Those memories crept its way to the surface when he found out about what was happening between Seonghwa and Yeosang.

“I won’t be able to look at you in the same light Hwa, every time I see a mere photo of you, all I can think of is what you did, you knew what I had to go through with my own family as a kid and right now all I can think of is how you had the guts to do that to me.” he spoke as he looks at the clouds moving in the sky and the birds flying away, wishing that he was one of them since they can just get away when things were getting too crazy.

“I still want to try Joong, what I said was not true, I still love you and I want to fix our family.” Hongjoong was surprised when Seonghwa held his cold hand, warming them up causing him to lift up his head.

Seonghwa kisses his husband’s knuckles as he looked at his deep brown eyes that were lifeless

“I want that too Hwa, it’s all I’ve ever wanted ever since we became boyfriends,” The ravenette had a hopeful smile on his face at the thought that he can still get him back even after his fuck up

“But you chose a different route, you chose to be with another person that isn’t me.” his smile dropped at the additional response but he persisted

“I still want to be there for you, for Jongho. I still want to make memories with you.” Hongjoong can only sigh as he removed his hand from his hold, he didn’t want to be easily swayed by his gentle words and actions.

“Face it Hwa, our lives are different when we do our own things and I can handle raising Jongho, it's what I've been doing for years now.”

What people had said about him hit hard, it was as if everyone online was claiming that he was never in Seonghwa’s league, that Seonghwa would click more with Yeosang since they were in the same industry.

“If you really loved us, you wouldn’t have done what you did, you could have talked to me about what could possibly be getting in between our relationship, albeit the lack of sex or the lack of attention I give to you, you could have told me Hwa but you made the choice of sticking your cock in some model and letting that go on for a whole year, Seonghwa.”

The words he chose were rather spiteful yet his tone was calm which is honestly more scarier

“You can go home, I’ll call for someone to keep me company and help me once I get discharged.” 

Seonghwa sighs, heading towards the door but just when his hand touches the handle, he turns around one more time

“Just think it through Joong, I don’t want to live my life without you.”

Hongjoong can only scoff at his bold statement because from that point on he doesn’t know what to believe anymore

“Live your life with Yeosang, that seemed to be working out for a year, I’m actually surprised that I wasn’t hit with divorce papers sooner or is that going to be another surprise?” Hongjoong definitely became more snappy, he didn’t want to look at his husband anymore

“But don’t worry Seonghwa, I’m taking care of it already.” He gives him a sad smile before his eyes tear up again.

“Don’t say that Joong, I’m staying at our apartment in Gangnam, if you want to talk, just come over, please think about it and give us a chance, okay? I love you.”


	21. Chapter 21

“Are you positively sure about this Joong?” Wooyoung asks for the 10th time that day as he helps his hyung pack up some of his remaining valuables in his house almost a month after he had been confined in the hospital which was also the last time he saw Seonghwa, he figures that he hasn’t stepped a foot in the house considering all the broken things weren’t cleaned up.

“You’re helping me pack, aren’t you?” Hongjoong remarks playfully as he pushes away another box that were filled with Jongho’s clothes since it was the last room he took care of

“Well, I’m doing it to be a good friend.” Wooyoung answers, taping up one of the boxes and sliding it over to Mingi who was out of the door, ready to put the boxes in his car.

“Besides, it’s for security purposes and I don’t want to endanger you and San, especially not little Hyesung.” he sighs, looking around at the semi-empty house, it had been a struggle ever since they got doxxed but he was thankful that no one really broke inside

“Jongho’s birthday is close though, you could at least celebrate it at our place or you can come back to this place.” Wooyoung tries to reason out, not only did he want to still be closer to his friend but he didn’t want Hongjoong to completely leave the house that they built memories on, yet he understands why Hongjoong wants to turn his back on the place as it only held disdain now.

“It’s for the best Woo, you don’t have to worry about me.” the older assures as his eyes lingered upon a framed photo of him and Seonghwa when they first moved into the house, back when they didn’t have much yet but they promised to slowly fill it up.

He would do everything to turn back time and perhaps try to fix whatever went wrong, back to that memory where it was stressful yet fulfilling as they finally have a house of their own. He still remembered how Seonghwa told him that he loved him and that he will be okay after a long day of moving in and that’s what got Hongjoong through the day.

“Woo, where did I lack?” he whispers, biting at his bottom lip as he was hesitant to cry “Hey, hey,” Wooyoung takes the frame away from his hands, propping it back into its original place as wraps his arms around Hongjoong

“Do you think he was happier with him?” he asks, curling into Wooyoung’s hold

“I think he’s happy that the divorce papers haven’t been delivered to him yet.” he tries to joke but at the same time he was persistent in talking to Hongjoong about just divorcing him as what he had done was completely unforgivable and if he was in his shoes, he wouldn’t think twice about it.

Hongjoong had laid out that he just doesn’t want anything to do with Seonghwa for now, even though he was very much ready to leave him, he put it on hold as he wanted to distance himself just to see what he truly wants and he didn’t want his decision to be affected if he’s around him when they discuss their cases because to Hongjoong, it was still too soon to actually face him.

As soon as they slid out the last box, San immediately pulled him for a hug

“Make sure to call me when you get there, I don’t know how I’m going to live without you.” San whines before peppering Hongjoong’s cheeks with kisses

“I’m just moving 30 minutes away, not across the country.” he reminds but San still stomps his feet “30 minutes too far and I’m gonna be all alone at the store!” he adds just as Wooyoung comes out of the house, locking it behind him as Hongjoong instructed

“You’ll live, I’ll be over on days that I can come.” he assures, deciding to take a step back from coming to the store and actively managing it as he didn’t want anyone to see him and to put his focus on producing music to keep his mind busy from all the stressful thoughts clouding over him.

He crouches down at Jongho who was sitting next to Hyesung keeping an eye on hims while was in his little carrier

“Ready to go baby bear?” he asks and Jongho nods, standing up but not without giving Hyesung a little kiss on the top of his head.

“Take care of your papa for me, okay?” the little boy nods his head at San before getting carried by Wooyoung “ And don’t be a bad boy!” he scolds playfully as he throws him in the air for a couple of times as they walk to the cars

“I won’t.” Jongho answers in a hushed tone, he has grown more quiet than he usually was, exponentially anxious from what he’d been going through.

“Mingi, take care of them, I trust you since you’re going to be the closest to them.” Wooyoung pats the redhead’s back before Jongho clambered into his arms.

“I will, don’t worry.” he smiles, rubbing Jongho’s back soothingly, excusing himself to buckle Jongho up in the car, leaving Hongjoong to chat a little bit with his friends since he won’t be able to see them for a few days since he’ll be busy unpacking and cleaning up his new place.

“I promise I will come by once I settle everything, I trust you a lot Sannie and I just gotta look out for Jongho.” the couple nods, understanding the situation and promising that if he needs them, they will be there for him as well.

Hongjoong lets out a sigh as soon as he finishes bringing another load of boxes inside his small studio apartment “Is that the last of them?” Mingi asks, equally tired from helping him move in.

“Yes, thank you so much for helping me by the way, I didn’t know you live in the same building.” he comments as he plops down on the couch where Jongho had fallen asleep on while watching cartoons and Mingi follows, breathing quite heavily from all the work they’ve done for the past minutes, now all they have to do is take everything out from their boxes which was gonna have to wait until the next morning because it’s just exhausting to do it that night.

“How about I put Jongho to bed and I cook something quick,” Hongjoon suggests “You don’t have to Joong, I know you’re just as tired.” Mingi declines but Hongjoong insists.

It was a long day and even though he didn’t have the appetite, he needed to put food in his system “Come on, it’s the least I can do.” Mingi knew he wasn’t going to stop so he just nods, opting to order instead of Hongjoong cooking so he can relax.

Hongjoong lifts Jongho up from the couch, hushing him when he starts to whine

“It’s just me baby, just me.” Hongjoong tells him, bringing him to the bedroom that they’re going to have to share since it was a small space, with one room already occupied with Hongjoong’s equipment both for his clothing business and for his music.

“Papa, are we still gonna go home?” Jongho asks after Hongjoong changes him into his pajamas

“I don’t know yet, baby,” Hongjoong lies as he knows that he will never go back to that house again

“Papa’s gonna be with you though, okay? We’ll be alright Baby.” he gives him a kiss on the nose as he helps him up on the bed

“I love you so much.” Hongjoong whispers, tucking him under the covers and turning on the night light before leaving the room.

“Is he okay?” Mingi asks as soon as he comes out of the room

“He’s getting there.” Mingi shows him a sympathetic smile before standing up to give him a comforting hug “He’ll be okay Joong and you’re not going to be alone.” he assures, inadvertently giving him a kiss on the crown of his head

“Thank you so much,” Hongjoong mumbles before pulling away and going over to the couch

“You don’t have to keep saying thank you, Joong, I, along with your friends, just wanna be there for you.” Hongjoong’s eyes well up with tears once again and before he knows it, he was on top of Mingi, clinging to him for dear life as he cries once more, it was as if all the frustrations had been let out since he was out of his son’s sight.

“I have been a useless excuse for-”

“No, Hongjoong, no, don’t say anything bad about yourself, you are not at fault for what happened.” Mingi tries to calm him down, he just feels the smaller’s body shakes as he cried “You’re going to be okay, I promise.” he pats his back, caressing him as Hongjoong just falls into more despair.

They stayed like that up until the bell rings for their food delivery and even then Hongjoong doesn’t let go, they ate in silence, well not so much on Hongjoong’s part as he didn’t have the appetite but he forced himself to as he didn’t want to become unhealthy.

⚝──⭒─⭑─⭒──⚝

That night, Hongjoong had fallen asleep on top of Mingi, it was one of the first nights in a month that he felt safe.

He considered moving back to their hometown, to live in his old childhood home and away from the prying eyes of the media but that place also held some undesirable memories and he didn’t want to relive it.

Hell he even thought of moving to the countryside for the sake of his and his child’s mental health.

However, his friends had convinced him to stay, as it wasn’t the best idea for him to be alone, especially if he falls ill again with no one close to him.

San and Wooyoung were thankful upon knowing that Mingi lives in the same building as Hongjoong, causing them to be at ease that there was someone who can keep an eye on him if something goes wrong.

Hongjoong had sleepless nights for the past month, ever since some of the more extreme fans had found his private accounts, he was just getting tons of hateful and threatening messages and it resulted to him deleting every social media account he had apart from his business ones.

He uninstalled all the accounts he has on his phone since he didn’t want to see the news and gossip about his husband and Yeosang, it was madness that the media had let it slide, it was disrespectful that neither Yeosang nor Seonghwa experienced the consequences in their company.

People had vandalized his house, the place he called his home and he started fearing for his life and his child’s, there was one night that he had come by to retrieve something important and he was shocked to see his house vandalized and photos of him were scattered on the front door, photos of him with Mingi, doing harmless activities.

Even though he didn’t want to press charges, Mingi and Wooyoung did on his behalf, even giving him a lecture that everything that had been happening was unforgivable and he should stop giving the leniency to just let it go.

What pushed Hongjoong to the edge was when he found out that some teenagers in the other classes from the music program had picked on Jongho.

The child was merely waiting to get picked up from his guitar class, luckily Jisung was able to stop the commotion, shielding Jongho from all the spiteful things they were saying but it left a mark on Jongho and he asked to be pulled out of the class.

Hongjoong complies as he saw the fear in his child’s eyes as he told him what they had said. Hongjoong felt the rage bubble up inside him when he found out that they had told Jongho that he was nothing more than a mistake and is the only reason why his parents stayed together.

Jongho wasn’t a stupid child, he understood what they were saying and Hongjoong immediately reported the teenagers with Jisung vouching for them which eventually got them removed from the classes.

His Younghyun Hyung opt to still give Jongho the music sheets that he can learn from so he doesn’t fall behind in case he wants to come back. Hongjoong promised Jongho that he will be the one teaching him for now, he didn’t want his son’s dreams to be crushed because of some mindless teenagers.

Even Mingi knew that it was the first time he slept soundly since he would sometimes wake up at night due to Hongjoong calling him after having a nightmare, talking to each other until Hongjoong finally falls back asleep.

He felt Hongjoong nuzzle his face into his chest and he looked comfortable but he didn’t want him to feel any body pain in the morning. He maneuvered his way into carrying the smaller man into the bedroom, gently laying him down on the bed and putting the covers over him.

“Don’t go,” he hears Hongjoong whispers

“I’m only a few doors down Joong, just give me a call if you need anything as you always do.” Hongjoong hums before letting out a soft

“Goodnight.” before falling asleep, getting his arms around Jongho and holding him safely.

Mingi sighs after getting inside his own apartment, grabbing a bottle of beer for himself to wind down.

He’s thought about his little crush on Hongjoong but he didn’t want to take advantage of his vulnerable state and he knows that all Hongjoong needed as of now is a supportive friend, he didn’t need to be his significant other to be supportive.

He can just be Hongjoong’s friend.


	22. Chapter 22

As the months grew cold, the leaves from their respective branches became warmer as they started to fall, they were definitely leaning towards winter.

It marked the first time in what seemed like a month or two that Seonghwa stepped foot in their house after hearing from San that Hongjoong had moved out without the intention of coming back.

That’s when he saw how it had been vandalized from the outside and once he was inside, it felt gloomy and cold, the place had been cleaned up a bit as he remembered how he broke a mirror as well as a vase when Hongjoong left him and never looked back.

The walls that were once filled were sparse but he had expected it after San had told him that Hongjoong had stored some of it in the closet because he didn’t want to see it while he was packing up his belongings.

He was quite shocked to hear that Hongjoong didn’t think twice upon leaving, he never thought that Hongjoong would have the guts to do so since the place was like his little nest but perhaps he’s underestimated him.

The ravenette sat on the couch, running his fingers through his hair as he thought of what their life was like before.

Before he made the decision to give into his desires and basically reeled in Yeosang but the younger wasn’t that innocent since he knew what he had signed up for from the start.

As he blinks his eyes, he spots a glint peeking out under a shelf that was collecting a thin layer of dust, he immediately gets up on his feet as he follows it and he saw that it was Hongjoong’s engagement ring.

He twirled it around his fingers as he remembered how hard he had hid it months prior to proposing to him, Hongjoong was a tad hesitant at first but after Seonghwa promised him that it’s going to be different, he gives him a sweet yes and what a fucking idiot Hongjoong was to agree since in the end, Seonghwa did what Hongjoong dreaded the most.

The bright yellow walls that once brightened up the room that Hongjoong himself painted became pale in Seonghwa’s eyes, he could’ve stopped it the minute after he had kissed Yeosang at a party but he couldn’t get a hold of himself as he just felt so good, he told himself that he should have just been contented with what he had even if Hongjoong was a little reserved but he was only realizing how he let someone as loyal as Hongjoong walk out of his life.

“Deep thought?” he was shaken out of his thoughts by the sound of Yunho’s voice coming from the doorway

“A little bit, it’s weird to be back at home.” Yunho nods, understanding that Seonghwa was gonna have to adjust to the fact that this would be the first time that Seonghwa came home to an empty house but his stay there was only going to be temporary since he still wanted to wait and see if Hongjoong would still change his mind upon splitting up but Yunho knows that there is no possibility that Hongjoong would even dare to go back in that relationship.

Yes, it would be a waste after all those years but he knows that Hongjoong would not risk his well-being, as well as Jongho’s as the thought of Seonghwa repeating it will always be in the back of his head. All he could really think about at that time is how Jongho is going to take it in terms of the battle for custody, he knew that Jongho would be better off with Hongjoong.

From what Yunho knew after grabbing a drink with Yeosang, the young model was undeniably in love with Seonghwa, he shared that even though he knows that Seonghwa can’t be his, he was the only man that he had ever fallen in love with again only to be tossed aside after the scandal broke and it made him see how Seonghwa was no different from the first person who ever hurt him and made him indifferent when it came to love.

“How about you go see put your stuff upstairs, I’ll order something for us and then we can drink until you feel numb and if you’re in the mood, you can even cry.” Yunho suggests making Seonghwa lightly chuckle “I’ll go shower or something, make yourself comfortable.” Seonghwa says before treading up the stairs, leaving Yunho alone.

Yunho was there for Seonghwa despite his utter distaste for what he did and unintentionally for Yeosang as well after he saw one of the photographers harassing him for what had happened, he took it upon himself to tell the head of the company that people had no right to hurt Yeosang and he eventually encouraged the younger to step up, there they saw the extent that Yeosang had been enduring quiety, even Seonghwa saw it, the bruises on his arm, the ones on the corner of his lips after he took his make-up off.

He looked at Seonghwa, as if trying to tell him that he was the cause of it but not once did Seonghwa even apologize nor did something. It was Yunho who took it upon himself to appeal that Yeosang should go on a break as means of a compensation and to keep him safe from the public’s eye.

After what happened, Yeosang invited Yunho to his place where he was able to share to share his thoughts that perhaps what happened would also attach Seonghwa’s name to the scandal but it seems as if only Yeosang was the one who was at fault. His name was being tarnished online, he was being attacked through the comment sections of his social media.

He shared how he admitted that he was a tad heartless for being part of the reason as to why Seonghwa was beginning to have second thoughts about Hongjoong. Yeosang shared how he found it quite odd that Seonghwa didn't do anything in terms of protecting Hongjoong and his own son by threatening to take legal action towards the people who would do harm to them.

Yeosang understood as to why Seonghwa never stood up for him, who was he to Seonghwa? He was merely his doll but not standing up for your own family despite what they're going through is a whole new level. 

Yeosang knew what was happening with Hongjoong, from the doxxing, to the vandalism, to the nasty comments that should easily be thrown towards himself and not him as Hongjoong was the victim in all of this but from what he saw, fans, as well as people from the media and the same industry as him only viewed and portrayed him as a very desirable figure in terms of the modelling industry, so desirable that he was pulling in married men.

It was as if they were covering up what Yeosang truly is; a homewrecker.

Yunho and Seonghwa were sitting next to each other in the living room, the t.v was on just for some background so it wouldn’t be so quiet since the house felt awfully foreign, almost all of Hongjoong’s belongings were gone and all that’s left were Seonghwa’s.

“I have to admit that I still cannot believe that you’ve done this.” Yunho admits, taking a gulp of his soju and he feels his hyung shift beside him “I don’t know what went through your head but this is beyond fucked up.” Seonghwa just hangs his head low in shame as he lets his dongsaeng berate him

“Have you spoken to Hongjoong lately? It’s Jongho’s birthday soon.” Yunho asks but he just shakes his head

“I have no idea where he is, San wants to tell me but Wooyoung doesn’t permit it, I would give anything to see them again.”

That's when Yunho grows a bit irritated, he doesn't want to be mean but he can’t help himself but say the words that came out of his mouth. He claimed that he would want to see Hongjoong and Jongho again but at the same time he was making zero effort in doing so.

“You’re my friend Hyung, you've been my friend since the start but Jesus Christ you are one stupid motherfucker.” Seonghwa took no offense to this as he knew it was nothing but the truth

“There is no one to blame but you as well as Yeosang but let's leave him out of the picture for now and focus on you, you took Hongjoong for granted, you traded the opportunity to keep your family together, you exchanged a bond with your son to keep him from opening his mouth,” Yunho wanted nothing more than to punch his friend in the face ever since the news broke out

"Hongjoong was nothing but loyal and supportive towards you from the very beginning, not once did he give you any problems, he never got in the way of your work because he respected you but what did you do?" Yunho lets out a hum afterwards, as if challenging Seonghwa.

“Are you just going to give up on them?” 

“No but-”

“But what Hwa? What’s with the but?” Yunho barks

“I can’t- I don’t- I think I’d rather be with Yeosang.”

The taller man was taken aback with the answer as he flicks his forehead

“Are you actually hearing yourself? Motherfucker, you left him for the wolves, you haven’t spared him a glance ever since the news broke out. You do not love him Seonghwa, it was all infatuation, you only loved him for the way he made you feel in the bedroom, hell, you loved how fucking submissive he was for you, dropping to his knees with one word. You merely used him to make yourself feel good because you couldn’t make Joong feel that way, you call him a frigid boy but he has his dignity, he’s never let himself be stepped over not by anyone and especially not you.” 

Honestly he couldn’t believe what he was hearing, Yeosang understood what could Seonghwa possibly be craving for with him but why can’t Seonghwa see it for himself? Was he that of a narcissist that he wants to keep both of these men to himself despite how he’s affected their mental being.

“If Hongjoong were to hear you right now, he wouldn’t hesitate to slap you with the divorce papers, hell, he would shove them down your throat, if you somehow do love Yeosang as you proclaim, what will happen to Jongho? What happens to Hongjoong? Think about them Seonghwa, the one who will be the most affected here is Jongho, do you really think a battle for custody will be easy on him? He may be a child but he understands what is happening to his surroundings and I have full faith that Hongjoong will be granted full custody instead of you. You have no fucking right to make him feel inferior.”

He continues to berate Seonghwa because Hongjoong never deserved to be juggled around like that.

Hongjoong wasn’t Seonghwa’s property, he was a human being who also has a limit to what he could take.

The same goes for Yeosang, he was young man who didn’t have a clue as to what love was and he let himself get tossed around like a ragdoll to satisfy Seonghwa's desires, ego and to please him.

⚝──⭒─⭑─⭒──⚝

On the day of Jongho’s birthday, Yunho took it upon himself to ban Seonghwa from getting inside his studio until he makes an effort to see his own son and although he was very hesitant since Hongjoong made it clear that he never wanted to see his face anymore, Seonghwa still goes.

The ravenette gulps as he gets out of his car, he sees San through the glass of the store and he takes a deep breath before entering

“What the hell are you doing here?” San questions, barely giving Seonghwa the time to even comprehend “I just, it’s Jongho’s birthday and I just, I need to see him San.” Seonghwa begs, if San wants him to get on his knees, he would, anything to see Hongjoong and Jongho even just for a day as he wanted Hongjoong to change his mind and stay with him.

“And what Hyung? Don’t think I don’t know that you supposedly want to stay with Yeosang rather than Joong Hyung and before you asks, yes, Yunho tells me everything. Just let them be Hyung, Joong hyung is trying so hard to pull himself up and I don’t want him to fall into pieces yet again because of you.” San concludes, trying to talk him out of his decision and to make him leave. 

“Please San, it’s Jongho’s birthday, I don’t want to miss it.”

San was a father now and even if he wanted to deny him of sorts, he knew how much it would hurt to miss your own son’s birthday. He ended up making Seonghwa wait for what seemed like hours.

In the end, San just prays that Hongjoong doesn’t hate him if he knows that he was the person who gave his location to his place but he just gives in because even if he was angry, he’s still a little softy.

Seonghwa was anxious to face his husband again after a long time, he didn’t come empty handed as he had a present for Jongho as well as a cake, he had promised Hongjoong before that he is in charge for Jongho’s cakes for his birthdays and he didn’t want to break that promise as he wanted to give him a good impression once more just to see if he can sway Hongjoong’s decisions.

Seonghwa found it odd that Hongjoong currently lived in an apartment that he didn’t know about, even more so as he knows that they didn’t know anyone who lived in that area since he knew how Hongjoong always chose places where he would be close to his friends.

He balls his hands to a fist as he knocks on the door, he was anxious to see them after a month, the last he saw Jongho was the night San took him and the last time he saw Hongjoong was when he was hospitalized.

“O-Oh, it’s you.” Mingi stutters out as soon as he opened the door, it seriously caught Seonghwa off guard that he was in what supposedly is Hongjoong’s apartment

“What are you doing here?” he asks a little hostile in his tone but the now, peach haired man just opens the door wider, inviting him inside because he knew what the reason was as to why he was there

“I assume you’re here because it’s Jongho’s birthday, please, come in.” Seonghwa raises a brow at Mingi was still kind towards him, even helping him with what he was carrying.

“They aren’t here yet but I am going to assume that Hongjoong has no idea you are visiting?” Mingi questions before going back to the small kitchen since he was making seaweed soup for Jongho

“He doesn’t, I kind of pressured San to give me his new address.” Seonghwa admits and Mingi just hums before telling him to feel at home while he gets him something to drink.

“Are you living here with him or?” Seonghwa asks, keeping his tone on the more neutral side as he looks around the place.

How it was very Hongjoong, from the paintings he did, the cluttered art and sewing supplies, Hongjoong’s stuffed animals almost in every corner and of course the houseplants that he dearly loved.

“I live a few doors down, I only knew he was moving here after I saw him with San dropping off some stuff before he packed up everything from your place.” Mingi explains, trying to avoid eye contact with him as he found him a bit intimidating

“But why you?” Seonghwa asks causing Mingi to lean back for a bit

“What?” he asks “He has San and Wooyoung but why are you the one playing husband?” the peach haired man scoffs, crossing his arms over his chest

“Well, since you’ve been so uninvolved with Hongjoong’s life for quite a long time, San and Wooyoung are busy taking care of their son and I was the closest person, quite literally, and I am just looking out for him.” He says as a matter of fact because he wasn’t keen on how Seonghwa was acting as if he was still Hongjoong's husband

“Look Seonghwa, if you’re insinuating that something has been going on between us, cut the shit. Hongjoong is not like you, despite knowing how you basically ignored him for months, not once did it cross his mind to be unfaithful towards you, there has been nothing going on with us, I am merely here to be his companion, knowing that he isn’t at a stable state yet.” Seonghwa only gets a sarcastic chuckle as a response before he raises a brow

“Friend? I’ve seen how you looked at him before and not to mention how Jongho has talked to him about how you had a little crush on Hongjoong.”

Despite the words being thrown at him, Mingi kept his composure, clearing his throat before speaking up once more

“Okay maybe I do like him a little but I’m not going to jump him and tell him that I like him when he’s at a fragile state of mind but if he allows me, I wouldn’t hesitate to court him and give him the happiness and support that he deserves, the one that you should’ve been giving him instead of pushing him away.”

“You can keep those fantasies to yourself, Mingi, I loved him first and I know that in a matter of months, he’ll come crawling back to me.” he says in a rather snarky tone and Mingi just scoffs at the answer because it was by far the most stupid thing he’s heard and he really thinks that Hongjoong is that easy and he has his road paved already.

“It’s not about who loved him first, Seonghwa, it’s about who will love him through the ups and downs and being faithful to him, taking the time to fix the problem by communicating with each other.” 

Seonghwa opened his mouth to say something more as the words he had let go stabbed through his chest as well as his ego but he was cut off when the door opened

“Mingi Hyung!” his ears ring upon hearing Jongho’s voice and he watched the little one blindly run towards Mingi to hug him.

“Hey Min, it smells really good in here- Seonghwa?” Hongjoong’s eyes widen at the sight of his husband in his apartment and he lets go of the bags he was holding, kicking them aside

“Hey Joong, just here for Jongho’s birthday,” Seonghwa points at the cake he had brought

“I promised you before that I would always buy his birthday cake, right?” he shows him a small smile before Mingi puts Jongho down but the boy just clamored back into his hold, hiding from him

“Hey baby, I’m here,” Hongjoong coaxes, pulling him away from Mingi and into his arms, he puts a hand up as means of telling Seonghwa to keep his distance.

“Happy birthday Jongie, I love you so much.” Seonghwa says “I got you a present, why don’t you open it.” Jongho looks at the bag that was on the floor before he shifted his eyes up at Seonghwa

“It’s okay, you don’t have to buy me presents and stuff.” Jongho says, wiggling out of his papa’s arms and going to the bedroom, creating an awkward pause between the three of them.

“Ah, that kid.” Hongjoong mumbles but he completely understood his reaction, Hongjoong wanted to blow up the moment he saw him but he can’t let his anger get in the way in front of Jongho.

Mingi chimes in that he’ll take it to the room as well as give them privacy by taking Jongho to get some gummies in a convenient store, that is if Hongjoong was okay with being alone with him and Hongjoong confidently said that it’s about time that he confronts him about divorcing and they do need to talk, plus he didn’t want Jongho to be in the same room as Seonghwa.

“How did you know where I am staying?” Hongjoong asks as soon as Mingi and Jongho left, his demeanor completely shifting

“Please do not get mad at San, I begged him.” the blue haired man nods and there was a pregnant pause in between them as neither of them really knew what to say to each other.

“I’m happy to see you Joong,” Hongjoong’s lips formed into a thin line as he raises a brow at his bold statement

“Well, I surely did not miss you.” the younger one says, it took Seonghwa aback because it was strange to see how much Hongjoong has changed over the course of a month.

“I’ve gone back to producing , even though you doubted me, I have a little studio here, it’s a shame I couldn’t go back to my old one for now but you would know all about that.” Hongjoong gets up on to his feet, leading Seonghwa to his small, makeshift studio where one side has all his clothing and the other has his equipment for making music just to show him that he was still capable to juggling his job as well as his hobby

“I’ve sent some to Minho who is very happy to hear that I’ve come back, I’ve made a lot now, all those unfinished ones that I couldn’t complete because you never took part in helping me take care of Jongho, are finally finished.” he smiles fondly at his little safe haven as he shares it to Seonghwa

“Everyone had always encouraged me to get back to it but my own husband- oh wait, ex husband, doubted me,” he plops down into his desk chair as he plays the instrumentals to one of the songs he had composed for Seonghwa as a anniversary present that were filled with his most sincere thoughts about him and everything he wanted to say.

To thank him for being on his side, even if there were storms that poured over them heavily, as a way to tell Seonghwa that even after all the years that had passed, they will always be together.

“It’s a shame that I put so much effort into this song for you as an anniversary present but it doesn’t matter now, right? You don’t love me anymore and I surely do not need you in my life anymore.”

Hongjoong says with a sarcastic tone as he spins around on the chair.

“I already said that I am very much sorry Hongjoong, what more do you want me to say?” Seonghwa immediately apologizes after seeing the glazed look in Hongjoong’s eyes despite all the snarky remarks he’s been making

“You really think that those empty apologies will make me forgive you so easily?” he doesn’t break eye contact since he wanted Seonghwa to know how serious he was

“However, it’s quite alright,” he smiles, rather menacingly if Seonghwa may add but Hongjoong just wants to show him that even if he is still hurting, he was still someone who is strong, he has to be, for his son

“If I could take everything back, I would.” Seonghwa says, kneeling in front of Hongjoong and taking his hands in his “You’re not sorry Hwa, you never were, you didn’t feel an ounce of guilt whenever you rejected me when I needed you the most.”

Seonghwa cups Hongjoong’s cheek which catches him off-guard and before he can pry his hands off him, Seonghwa kisses him in a bruising manner, it caused the chair to tip over and hit the desk as he puts his hands on Hongjoong. The younger was sent into panic because this was something he did not want nor would he want ever again.

Hongjoong tells him to stop, clawing at his clothes as he tries to push him back but Seonghwa wasn’t even fazed, holding him still as he grabs him by his jaw, turning his head away as he hungrily kissed down Hongjoong’s neck, trying to find his sweet spot while telling him that he still loved him and to rethink his decisions.

Hongjoong was beyond scared as to what Seonghwa might do to him and with all his strength, he curls his leg up to create a small space between him and Seonghwa, maneuvering himself to be able to kick him away

“I said fucking stop!” Hongjoong curls himself on to the chair as it tumbled back down from being tipped over, catching his breath as he wipes his lips with the sleeve of his sweater, wrapping his arms around himself and curling into a ball to protect himself from what Seonghwa might further do.

He stares at Seonghwa with a mixture of fear and upset written in his eyes as he couldn’t believe that Seonghwa had tried to force himself on him despite all the protests he made

“Get the fuck out, I don’t ever want to see you anymore and this just solidifies my decision into fucking divorcing you and I swear that you will never ever see me nor Jongho after all this bullshit finally ends.”


	23. Chapter 23

Days went on after his fear inducing experience with Seonghwa. Hongjoong never told Mingi what had happened, he didn’t tell anyone for the matter but he did grow quite irritable and rather frustrated that he would do such a thing since it was rather out of line.

But Mingi wasn’t blind, he saw how jumpy Hongjoong had been whenever they were outside, it was as if he was always checking if someone was behind him even though Mingi made it sure that there was no one there.

Mingi had more free time in his hands as the original teacher had come back, his schedule was more loose but it was quite a good thing because it meant he will be able to look after Hongjoong, especially at that time since it seemed like something rather jarring happened between them and he will try to ask him once it’s just the two of them since he knew how adamant Hongjoong is talking about what is bothering him when Jongho is around.

The sky was rather sunny that Saturday morning yet the air was chilly, Mingi woke up to Hongjoong wrapped around him, nuzzling more towards him for warmth. It was the second weekend for that month that Mingi had Hongjoong sleep over at his place but he didn’t mind.

Jongho was over at Wooyoung and San’s place as the couple knew that Hongjoong had officially started the process for divorce, they didn’t know that he would act rather quickly, Hongjoong claimed that he just wanted it to be done but Mingi knew that something else happened. Hongjoong had grown to dislike being alone for the time being, he knew that Hongjoong valued his alone time but ever since that day, it was as if Hongjoong just wanted to be around his friends at all times.

Mingi lets out a sigh when he notices the dried streaks of tears down Hongjoong’s cheeks and he realized that he had cried in his sleep, he coos as he sees how red the tip of his nose was, his cheeks were just as flushed and his long lashes were matted together due to the tears.

He lifts Hongjoong’s arm off his torso, trying to prevent him from waking up but Hongjoong suddenly flinches awake, grabbing onto Mingi, seemingly catching his breath

“Joong, Hongjoong, calm down.” Mingi was also sent in panic after seeing him so frantic, he held his wrists as he tries to make him see that he is awake and no one in that room will hurt him

“It’s just me here,” He assures, sitting him up so he could do breathing exercises with him “Deep breaths Joong.” Mingi instructs, timing it with his desk clock as he still kept his hands on his wrists, waiting for his pulse to get back to normal.

It took a good 10 minutes before Hongjoong managed to calm down from his nightmare, he ended up being sat in between Mingi’s legs, with his back to him as he let him cradle him, humming to him while he let Hongjoong play with his fingers.

“I’ll go make some breakfast and we’ll see what we can do today, okay?” Hongjoong whines, wrapping Mingi’s arms around himself like a cage and it made Mingi chuckle a bit

“Come on, I know you’re hungry.” Mingi just pats the top of his head before he stood up, walking around him on the bed and jumping on the hardwood floor “We still have time to sleep.” Hongjoong says, still a bit flushed from having just woken up

“I know but it’s such a beautiful day and we shouldn’t waste it.” Mingi brushes his hair, untangling the knots in his blue hair, well, almost silver hair since It was already fading “Don’t want to go outside.” Hongjoong says, falling back into Mingi’s bed as he curls up beneath the covers, it reminded Mingi that this was something he needed to get to the bottom off.

He kneels down the bed so he was leveled with the little bundle under the comforter and he peeks at Hongjoong

“Is there something bothering you?” he asks straight away, Hongjoong nibbles on his bottom lip since he knew that Mingi won’t stop until he gets an answer, he was surprised that he caught on to his behavior and perhaps telling him would make him less of a mess since keeping shit to himself has always caused him his health.

“I’ll- I’ll tell you later.” Mingi puts up his pinky finger and Hongjoong just looks at it “What are you? 5?” he chuckles a bit but he found himself wrapping his own pinky around his, seeing how small his hand was compared to Mingi’s

“Well, seeing as you did a pinky promise, I’ll assume you are 5 years old as well.” Mingi teases before getting up, leaving Hongjoong alone in his room.

Hongjoong just wraps the comforter around his body tighter, bringing it up to his nose as he’s grown to find Mingi’s scent rather comforting, hell, his entire being is comforting. He was patient, understanding, he just cares a lot and Hongjoong tells himself that maybe Mingi’s chest is so broad and huge because he needed all that room for his big heart.

He wasn’t one to pressure him whenever he notices something alarming, he’s never felt like he was being backed up into a corner. Mingi knew the right time to ask him about things, he always took it upon himself to take Jongho away whenever there were discussions about serious matters and he deeply appreciates him for that.

How did he get lucky to have met a person like Mingi?

A person who was just Jongho’s teacher at first but he was slowly and surely getting integrated into their lives. He was like a breath of fresh air whenever things get too stuffy, as warm as a summer’s night, and overall a beautiful person, both inside and outside.

It was only a manner of minutes when Mingi popped his head back inside the room, causing Hongjoong to raise his head up, asking if something was wrong since his entrance was rather abrupt.

“San texted me, telling me that Jongho was missing us quite a bit,” he starts as he makes his way into his wardrobe

“So, how about we go out, fetch him from their place and we’ll eat breakfast outside.” Mingi suggest.

Hongjoong immediately sits up since it has been a while since he was able to eat something else rather than take-out and his own cooking “But what if someone sees us?” he asks cautiously and Mingi hums as he looks around his room, as if trying to get an idea on that slight problem

“Oh!” he beams before rummaging through one of his cabinets. Hongjoong grew curious like a cat, walking over to him as he tries to see what he could be looking for

“Joongie, how do you feel about having darker hair?”

⚝──⭒─⭑─⭒──⚝

Hongjoong lets out a whistle at his reflection, he was perched up on the bathroom counter while Mingi was finishing him up “So, not only are you a teacher but a hairdresser as well?” Hongjoong asks, tugging at strings of the hoodie that Mingi lent him

“No, I just dye my hair a lot,” Mingi answers, brushing his hair as it was all dry now and he decides to turn the conversation around.

“Do you wanna talk about what’s been bothering you? Before we pick Jongho up?” he asks, taking the opportunity “Did something happen between you and Seonghwa that day?” he asks, looking at him through the mirror and he saw how Hongjoong kind of deflate.

“He- He kissed me in my studio, he begged that I try to change my mind and it just scared me so much.” Hongjoong says quietly while Mingi spins him around, letting his legs dangle over the edge

“Did he hurt you?” Hongjoong lets out a sigh before shrugging, picking at his nails “It hurt and scared me,” he answers before looking up at him

“I didn’t like how he put his hands on me because it just disgusts me knowing what he did.” Mingi could see that he was struggling to find his words and he hushes him, scared that it might trigger something.

“You should have told me Joong, I was with you that day after he left, you could have told me.” Mingi says, feeling bad since Hongjoong has been keeping this for a while and he has an inkling that Seonghwa had done that without his consent

“Hongjoong, you have me, you have San, you have Wooyoung. Whenever there is something that has bothered you, please don’t hesitate to tell us because we don’t want to see you spiral down again.” Hongjoong just keeps looking up at Mingi, seeing worry etched on to his features

“You have us as your safe space, okay?” the smaller nods, thanking him softly for putting up with his chaotic life.

“I care a lot about you Joong, I care about you and Jongho, don’t ever forget about that.” He inadvertently kisses Hongjoong’s forehead and Mingi froze at his action, it was something that he does to Jongho whenever he was comforting him and his instinct just took over

“Joong, I am so so-“ he was cut off when Hongjoong just hops off the counter, hugging him tightly as it’s been a while since he felt such a comforting action from someone “Let’s,” he pauses as he squeezes Mingi before letting out a sigh of relief

“Let’s have a good day, Mingi.”

Jongho was bouncing with joy as he sees his hyung’s car pull up while he was waiting along with his Uncle Wooyoung “Papa!” he squeals as he runs towards Hongjoong who barely got out of the car

“Oh!” he stops as soon as he sees how his hair has changed, even Wooyoung whistles, commenting that it has been a while that he had a natural hair color “Does it look alright Jongie?” Hongjoong asks as Jongho kisses his cheek, Jongho nodded

“Papa always pretty, right Hyung?” he smiles widely as he peeks at Mingi who was behind the wheel “Definitely.”

The trio decided to get a table in the garden portion of the cozy café that Mingi took them to since the sun felt rather nice on their skin, it was bright yet it wasn’t scorching. Jongho was so enamored by the different kinds of flowers that had bloomed, even spotting a butterfly and immediately calling for his papa because he knows how much he loved them.

Mingi was just sat in their table as he watched the father and son follow around some of the butterflies that were collecting nectar from the flowers; he loved seeing both of them being happy since they deserve it very much. Happiness looked beautiful on them.

“Hyung it’s so pretty here!” Jongho hollers happily as he runs back to him

“I know baby bear, your papa and I wanted this to be a really happy day.” He helps him sit up on his spot before handing him his strawberry milk

“Are you happy too Papa?” Jongho turns his head toward Hongjoong who was looking at the scenery, the smile on his face unable to be wiped away as he looked at Mingi “I’m very happy.”

Hongjoong was still enjoying the last bit of his coffee while Jongho had pulled Mingi away to play a little bit more with the flowers, telling his hyung that he wants to see them before Winter sets in and they go to sleep but Mingi assured him that even under the snow, there will still be flowers that will bloom.

Hongjoong became more amazed at how Mingi knew a lot about flowers, even comparing Hongjoong’s smile to one which undeniably made Hongjoong blush which Jongho pointed out, teasing him quite a bit.

He was scrolling through his e-mails when he felt his eyes getting covered, see, he would panic if it weren’t for the smell of Mingi’s cologne “What is this?” he asks, trying to look up but Mingi just chuckles “Jongie has a surprise for you.” He claims and Hongjoong let out a soft _“Ah really?”_ before Mingi unclasped his hands away from his eyes and in front of him was Jongho holding out a red rose

“To make you even more happy!” he says, his voice full of glee and Hongjoong felt like his heart was gonna burst as he takes it from him “Thank you Jongie.” He smiles, opting to take a photo of the cute gift when another one was waved over his face but this time it was from Mingi

“We thought you needed a double dose of happiness.” He says and Hongjoong takes it with his small hand, eventually hiding behind them as he felt an overwhelming amount of euphoria coming from them.

Their next destination was at the park so Jongho can play along with children his age, surprisingly running into San and Wooyoung who was taking Hyesung out for a picnic and they quickly assimilated together.

San had Mingi accompany him to buy some baked goods and Jongho was quick to halt his playtime at the play ground to come with them, it left Hongjoong with Wooyoung as they played with Hyesung who was rolling around on the picnic blanket.

“So, what’s with you and Mingi?” Wooyoung elbows him “What’s what?” Hongjoong asks even though he knew what he meant “Nothing, just noticed how closer you got.” He smiles. Wooyoung didn’t want to talk about anything remotely close to the topic of the divorce because he didn’t want to ruin the atmosphere

“I mean, yeah, we’ve been spending quite a lot of time together so, it’s only normal that we are close.” Hongjoong reasons out as he felt Hyesung grab his finger, enamored by the piece of jewelry wrapped around it “He’s a good guy.” Hongjoong nods at Wooyoung’s statement before there was another pause between them.

“Would you consider, you know?” he hints at the possibility of getting into a relationship again and Hongjoong shakes his head “I’m not opposed to it but I’m not even legally split with Hwa yet, I wanna take some time off it and focus on Jongho.” Wooyoung nods, understanding how difficult it must be to try again but he knows that it’s a much better decision to focus on Jongho first.

“Papa, I have cuppy cakes!” Hongjoong tore his attention away from Wooyoung when he sees Jongho running towards them happily, waving around a bag of cupcakes while Mingi and San were walking closely behind him.

But Jongho had been running quite carelessly that he doesn’t see a small pothole that was hidden by some of the grass and his foot ends up getting caught in it, causing him to tumble around, scraping his cheek a bit due to the small rocks. Both Mingi and Hongjoong were quick to spring into action but since Mingi was closer, he was able to stand him up, comforting him as he wailed

“D-Daddy, hurts!” he looks up at Mingi and it surprised everybody 

“Oh my baby, you should be careful.” Hongjoong also skidded on the grass just to tend to him

“Daddy, fix Jongie.” He still looks at Mingi, a pout settling in his lips as tears continued to glide down his cheeks “Baby, that’s your Hyung-“

“No, he’s Jongie’s Daddy!” he screams before his lips wobbled again and since Mingi didn’t want him to cry anymore, he tells Hongjoong that it’s okay before hoisting him up, continuing to hush him and even bouncing him a bit.

He sits the crying boy down on the picnic blanket while San digs out a first aid kit that he started to bring with him ever since Hyesung came. But instead of sitting still on the ground, he clambers up to Hongjoong’s lap while Mingi, sanitizes his hands first before getting out some anti-bacterial wipes, just to get clean away some of the dirt, it wasn’t huge nor did it bleed heavily, just grazed the surface of his cheek.

Hongjoong continues to calm him down while Mingi lets him choose what kind of band-aid he wanted, immediately choosing one with some bears on them, as expected.

Once he was all done, Mingi immediately gave him a cupcake, letting him sit with Hyesung as Hongjoong didn’t want him to play on the playground

“You’re such a brave baby bear, hm?” Hongjoong praises as he lies down on his side as Jongho held on to his fingers

“Am always brave.” He claims as if he wasn’t just bawling his eyes out a few minutes ago.

But Hongjoong agrees, with the amount of bad things his young eyes has seen yet he was still the loving and affectionate boy that he is, he does conclude that Jongho is one tough bear cub.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter wasn't part of the original draft but after what happened in chapter 22, i just needed a breath of fresh air and just wrote this from scratch because i couldn't sleep.


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PLEASE AND I MEAN PLEASE PROCEED THIS CHAPTER WITH CAUTION AS THERE WILL BE A SCENE REGARDING SEXUAL ASSAULT. PLEASE DO NOT PROCEED EVEN FURTHER AFTER THE ITALIZED TEXT IF THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WILL BE TRIGGERING.

When Yeosang unlocked his bedroom door, he doesn’t expect to see Changbin smiling softly at him along with a paper bag filled with all the stuff that comforted him

“Are you okay baby?” he asks, pushing the hair that stuck on to his forehead since it seems like he just got out of the shower.

Changbin doesn’t get an answer but rather he just lets Yeosang engulf him in a hug before he started to cry, the silver haired man sighs before rubbing his back, trying to calm him down but it doesn’t seem to help, he hasn’t seen Yeosang in this state, not even when they stopped what they had.

“Hey, you’re okay, you’re going to be okay.” Changbin assures before getting him back inside his place, it was a bit of a struggle since Yeosang didn’t let go of him but he understands as to why Yeosang was clinging to him for dear life.

“How did we end up here, hm?” Changbin whispers, letting Yeosang use his chest as a pillow as they laid on the unruly bed

“No more tears darling.” Changbin wiped the tears that had strewn down his red cheeks, running the pads of his fingers on his dampened lids and letting his lashes flutter up as he opens his eyes again, they were swollen to the point that he had teased him that they look like rice cakes, just to cheer him up a bit.

“I’m sure you’re seeing the bigger picture now,” his fingers danced on his bare thigh knowing that the soft touches helped him calm down.

Yeosang nods as he wiped the remaining tears with his sleeve, he felt a lump forming on his throat as he lay his head on Changbin’s chest, trying to catch his breath by matching with him

“You were right and he- he left me and-“ Yeosang could barely form any words as he hiccups, he feels as if his throat was closing up with every word he tried to say.

“Deep breaths darling,” Changbin pats his back gently

“I’m not the only one at fault here but why does everyone make it seem like it is?” his voice was meek as he looked up at Changbin and that’s when the model sees a fading bruise Yeosang’s collarbones as the shirt he had been wearing slipped off a bit

“Yeosang, what is this?” he takes hold of his shoulder, completely sliding the shirt down so he can see if it was a mere hickey or if it was a bruise.

“Who did this to you?” he questions but Yeosang grabs on to his shirt, pulling it back up to hide it “It’s nothing, Binnie,” he denies but Changbin knows this wasn’t nothing, with the way Yeosang was panicked to cover it up

“Baby, let me see.” Changbin gently holds his hands, taking them away from where he was holding up his shirt “It’s okay, It’s just me.” He kisses the top of his hands before Yeosang nods, letting his hands fall into his lap.

As he feels Changbin’s hands on his body, he flinches since he was scared as to how he would react.

Changbin didn’t know what to say when he lifts up Yeosang’s shirt and his eyes widen as he sees some bruises that lined from his collarbones to his shoulders blades

“Yeosang, who the fuck- who did this to you?” he was astonished at the fact that Yeosang hid this from him for God knows how long, he wanted answers as to who has been hurting him

“It was- It was one of the photographers I had to work with.” He shares, voice breaking as he remembers the way Seonghwa looked at him when it was brought up, there was no ounce of worry nor guilt on his face even though he was part of the reason as to why he was getting harassed left and right. 

The pair just laid in silence after Changin dresses him up in a pair of pajamas that Yeosang always loved, he made sure Yeosang ate something as it looks like he lost a little bit of weight.

Changbin made sure to bring all his favorites and for a moment, he saw the light in Yeosang’s eyes over the small gesture he did but Changbin knew that he must have been surprised that he still remembered all the food and sweets that he liked even though they were only friends with benefits before but Changbin always kept track and always listened to him.

Yeosang felt somewhat safer around his former lover as he looked out the window watching as the sun set, replacing the orange skies with hues of dark blue, he doesn’t even realize that they had tangled their fingers together, with the silver haired man even bringing them up to his lips, grazing them with kisses.

“Not everything is your fault and you shouldn’t be getting all the shit from it.” Changbin reminds as the room grew dim

“Cheating is a choice, it’s not some sort of accident, Seonghwa made his choice by instigating advances towards you but you are also at fault for answering to him even when you knew that he was a married man.”

Yeosang doesn’t answer as he didn’t really have anything to say and he was right, he knew he fucked up and he has admitted it to himself but who can blame him?

He’s had a limited experience when it came to love since most of them were just desire for him since he was a model, he thought that perhaps Seonghwa did see something more in him but it always ends the same way, he was only seen for his pretty face.

“I can’t even imagine how Hongjoong feels, I’d feel like my whole world has stopped.” he says, it was so unlike the Yeosang that everyone knew, the Yeosang people saw in front of the cameras and Changbin, being the closest to him knew that this was Yeosang in his most vulnerable state as what happened may have brought up unwanted memories

“Why didn’t you think of that when he pursued you?” the blonde lets out a sigh at the question, sitting up but not one did he let go of Changbin’s hand

“Because,” he pauses as he felt his heart skip a beat

“I thought- In my mind he was the only man that had somewhat respected me and showed me that I can be loved and he made me feel what love is, even if it was temporary but he was just like everyone else.”

Changbin could see how hurt he was and even he blamed himself for making Yeosang feel that way once before but with what he’s been through with Seonghwa, it seems like his experience with him was much more harrowing

“I’m- I should’ve been better and thought about your feelings too.” he admits and Yeosang hushes him, putting a hand on his cheek, reminding him that it wasn’t his fault that they had to stop

“You told me right there and then that you weren’t looking for a relationship, I was the dumb one who expected more despite the boundaries we set between us, it’s not your fault Binnie, I promise.” he kisses the corner of his lips before smiling a bit but a tear still managed to spill out and Changbin doesn’t think twice when he cups his chin, kissing Yeosang square on the lips.

It wasn’t anything steamy or something that progressed, it was just a sweet, short and almost delicate kiss.

It made Yeosang want more of that feeling as he never really got that with Seonghwa, it was always a bruising feeling, a little forced, even drawing some blood sometimes but he let Seonghwa do that since he thinks it might make him stay, giving in to what he wanted but in the end, Yeosang ended up the one who wanted to get out for a small period of time, until Seonghwa completely turned his back against him.

Changbin just makes him lie back down on the bed before anything can ensue since he was still confused about his feelings but he just wanted to show him how he should be treated. He tells him to get some sleep and promising that he will be there when he wakes up, but to be sure, Yeosang holds Changbin’s hand again.

Behind those closed eyes was his mind clouding with thoughts as he thought about how different it would be if he grew up in a different family environment, would he be in the position he was in right now?

He knew that he was a child born out of an affair, how could he not know when his stepfather made it clear to him, reminding him almost every day that he isn’t his child nor was he part of the family and how he detests him as he looked so much like his wife’s other man.

But despite his stepfather’s dislike towards him, his mother coddled him to an extent that it also made him being the point of envy from his step-siblings since he always got away with everything and got everything he asked for from their mother.

He was held up at such a high pedestal and his mother took advantage of his beauty, pushing him towards modeling auditions and casting to somewhat make him a cash cow.

Yeosang didn’t have a normal childhood and by his adolescents he was already a semi-successful model.

He didn’t really have the chance to just be a teenager, to make friends, worry about school, join clubs, go to school events and maybe fall in love as his mother told him that it is merely a waste of time and love is a mere fallacy.

However, everything changed when he became a college student, his mother was against him living on his own for his studies since she was more worried about Yeosang getting distracted and falling out of touch with his job, she told him time and time again that he didn’t need a degree, he can just use his looks and perhaps reel someone in with a respectable name but Yeosang persisted

Around that time he was already a established name, he was already booking runway shows and photoshoots for high-end companies who immediately fell in love with his look upon the first audition.

At that age he was still a little reserved, a little awkward in terms of making friends and building relationships, it was a complete opposite of the fierce and confident person he was in front of the cameras.

He was enrolled to a literature course since he was always fascinated by classic romantic novels and he always visited second-hand books stores so he can buy all the romance novels that his heart desires.

He was also a fan of watching romance films and dramas, learning love through them as well.

Sometimes he would be daydreaming about being in a relationship, always asking himself when it would happen, what is his lover going to be like? 

He heard that being in love always felt like being on cloud nine and he would see how people’s smiles would go wide when they are with their significant others and he began to forget what his mother said about love, thinking that maybe she was wrong.

He was already in his sophomore year when he met Haneul, he had met the junior at a party and they hit it off quite well and at the end of the night after the older had somewhat rescued him from getting cornered by one of the seniors.

Haneul took him to a convenience store that night, buying him a bunch of snacks and making sure he was okay.

As he walks him back to his apartment, he had asked to see him again since he really had a nice time with him in the hours they spend. Of course, Yeosang agreed to it, feeling the butterflies in his stomach erupt when he kisses his hand like a gentleman and it reminded Yeosang of all the romantic scenes he’s read and watched.

One date turns into two and two turns into five and before he knew it, the older student asked him to be his boyfriend after they made little flower baskets for their date, Yeosang says yes to almost instantly.

He felt euphoric, he had someone to hold his hand, had someone to keep him warm and safe at night through cuddling, he had someone who gave him all the kisses that he wanted and he had someone who he loved with his whole heart.

_But not all good things last long._

Everything took a turn on the night of their 2nd year anniversary, their make-out session got a little heated and the older started tugging at Yeosang’s clothes but the younger stopped him before anything further happens since Yeosang was certain that he wasn’t really ready for that yet.

But Haneul persisted, masking the sound of frustration in his voice as claimed he’s waited long enough and he manipulated the situation into making Yeosang think that he didn’t love him and since he was scared that his boyfriend will break up with him if he doesn’t give him what he wants, Yeosang prevailed, agreeing to it.

Although tearful and scared about how it would go, he let his boyfriend have his way with him but it was at the last second that Yeosang changed his mind since he was sure that he wasn’t really ready to do it yet.

He pushes him away as he tries to get up and cover himself with the sheets but in the fit of rage, he had struck him, the impact was so hard that Yeosang bled from the corner of his lips, his cheek felt numb and he it felt like his soul was tossed out of his body.

In his dazed state, he still tried to stop him but a mixture of a scream and a sob ripped out of his mouth as the older enters him, finally getting a taste of what he had wanted ever since he had a glimpse of Yeosang’s body.

The fear-ridden boy stuttered out countless of pleadings to make it stop since it hurt but his boyfriend merely treated him like a ragdoll, cupping his mouth to drown out the crying, all while the helpless boy felt like he was being ripped in half.

He had passed out from the pain, feeling numb as he slowly peered his eyes open as the sunlight hit his eyes and he saw how bruised he was, blood stained his thighs along with various fluids and his _“boyfriend”_ was nowhere to be seen nor contacted.

Yeosang was so disgusted with himself and he locks himself in the bathroom, submerging himself in the tub as he scrubbed his body raw, trying to rid himself of what had happened but it was to no avail and he just pressed his knees up to his chest, curling into a ball as he cried for what seemed like the whole day.

From that day and onwards, he hid his soft and sensitive persona, putting on a mask as he presented himself as a confident person who will not be stepped on again, he wasn’t going to let anyone feel inferior without his consent.

He told himself that he would never ever fall in love again nor would he let anyone make him feel like a plaything.

However, his walls came crumbling down when he met Park Seonghwa, he was the only man that made him consider that maybe it wouldn’t hurt to try but he was once again let down as this man couldn’t truly be his.

It was as if the man had pulled a switch on him as he became rather submissive towards him, always doing what he had wanted and basically letting him treat him like a doll for his own pleasure.

“Binnie,” he whispers, unable to sleep “Yes darling?” Changbin replies and Yeosang buries his face into the crook of his neck “I don’t want it to be like this anymore, I don’t want to feel like I’m just someone who is being used for their own pleasure.” he admits and Changbin holds him tighter

“Then let him go Sang, let go of the remainder of your feelings because he never respected you, you were his little side piece because he grew tired of his husband, he is an asshole and he never deserved you.” Changbin places a soft kiss on top of his head as he plays with his hair, holding his hand yet again to make him feel secured. 

“Let yourself heal and learn to love yourself again, you’ve grown so detached with the feeling of needing to please him, to make him stay that you’ve lost respect for yourself.”


	25. Chapter 25

As Mingi’s eyes flutter open, he was met with Hongjoong’s peaceful face as he was still fast asleep.

Mingi knew that it had something to do with the bottle of wine and a little bit of soju they had shared from the night prior as Hongjoong had put out brand new music after so many years of being on a hiatus with no definite date as to when he would made a comeback.

Despite the alcohol they consumed, Mingi still remembered everything that happened that night, he remembers Hongjoong immediately pulling him inside his apartment.

Mingi was so confused as to why he’d been so chipper since he fetched Jongho from his place that morning.

He surely asked what the occasion was but Hongjoong kept it as a secret, telling him to come over at around 8 in the evening because there’s something he will be doing and he wanted Mingi to be there with him and Jongho when it happens.

He was pulled by the father and son into Hongjoong’s makeshift studio as he asked what was happening, the smile on Hongjoong’s lips never faded, not once.

Jongho gets hold of what seemed to be a small box which he gave to Mingi but the redhead furrows his brows as he claimed that his birthday was over and it was Hongjoong’s birthday the next day, so why was he the one getting a gift.

Hongjoong tilts his head at the realization that he had forgotten his own birthday but it seemed as if he’s lost track of the days after being all cooped up in his studio as he urges Mingi to open the gift, telling him to forget about how it was his birthday the next day.

Mingi toyed around with the present for a bit until Jongho got frustrated, situating himself on his lap as he ended up showing him how to open it, much to Hongjoong’s amusement and Mingi’s amazement as he asked Hongjoong what it was, he held the CD case in his hands.

The front cover of it had a lot of Hongjoong’s trademarks when it came to drawing; the vibrant colors, the butterflies, the flowers, and other doodles that filled up the space, when he flips it around he sees the songs that Hongjoong must have finished.

Despite basically almost living together, Mingi never pestered him to let him have the first listen before it came out because he wanted Hongjoong to be comfortable and it was surely worth the wait.

He was rather excited for him that he grabs the bottom of Hongjoong’s desk chair, pulling him towards him with the use of the wheels, causing Hongjoong to jump forward as Mingi catches him, of course, with little Jongho squished between them giggling as he claimed he loved being between his papa and daddy.

Hongjoong merely chuckles before kissing his forehead and getting back to hugging Mingi.

Hongjoong has never corrected Jongho in terms of calling Mingi his dad since his little boy must have been seeing Mingi as that and since the redhead was alright with it.

But they might have to add the fact that Jongho initially threw a tantrum over his Papa telling him that Mingi is his Hyung, the little boy has not once threw a tantrum as he grew up and that must have been the first time.

Mingi told Hongjoong that it was completely okay since he was alright with being a father figure to Jongho.

Hongjoong was nervous upon releasing it but Mingi assured him that it was okay and once it was completely up, his computer started to go into a frenzy at the countless of accounts coming back to his page, eager to listen to his music after how many years.

Hongjoong was so ecstatic at the positives responses and even his phone was blowing up with calls and messages that he assumed were from his friends.

They took their small party to the living room to have more space and so Hongjoong can let Mingi have the first listen.

Mingi had seen Hongjoong tear up a bit as they listened to a song titled _“Sunrise”_ and upon listening further.

The lyrics were beautiful and highlighted how Hongjoong was slowly rising up from rock bottom and back into the light, motivating himself that despite what had happened better things will still come and he just needed to keep it up and he was doing oh so well.

Hongjoong lets out a watery laugh as he realized he was crying a bit while singing along and Mingi ends up standing him up, making the shorter ask what was happening.

Mingi hushes him before hoisting him up a bit, letting him step on his feet as he danced him around the living room, twirling him around like a ballerina, even dipping him which caused Hongjoong to laugh out loud.

All while that was going on, little Jongho just watched as a smile crept on to his lips at how his daddy put the smile and happiness back into his papa.

This was the happiest they’ve been, he never had nightmares anymore nor was he scared that his papa will go away.

He squeals when he was scooped up from the couch by his papa, also making him join in.

After Hongjoong had put Jongho to sleep, that’s when he busted out the alcohol and he ended up drinking, perhaps until morning with Mingi.

Just talking about whatever they could think about and eventually falling asleep together on the couch with Hongjoong laid on top of him, curled up like a kitten and Mingi had his arms around him to keep him secured.

They were just in their little safe bubble.

He was just admiring almost every detail of Hongjoong’s face until he hears someone clear their throat, he looks aside and he sees Jongho, arms crossed as he wore his apron

“Yes baby bear?” Mingi asks, still playing with Hongjoong’s soft hair

“Papa’s birthday, we make cake for him!” he announces as he grabs on to Mingi’s hand that was dangling over the edge of the couch

“You know how to make cake?” Jongho asks him and Mingi nods knowing that Jongho won't take no for an answer.

He knew the basics of it so what could possibly go wrong?

“Okay, just let me bring your papa to the room and we can get started, go wash up and wait for me.” Jongho nods, waddling back to the kitchen and getting up on his little stepping stool so he can wash his hands while Mingi maneuvers Hongjoong so he can carry him.

The brunette doesn’t stir, probably because he was still passed out from the alcohol but he tucked him into bed nicely, setting down a pill as well as water, in case he wakes up with a pounding headache.

“Are you all washed up?” Mingi asks Jongho who nodded

“Alright, I’ll get some ingredients out and let’s try not to make a mess because I don’t want us to get in trouble.” He pats his head before sitting him down on the counter while he goes through Hongjoong’s cupboards, taking out whatever they may need.

“Daddy, can I ask something?” Jongho brings up while watching Mingi whip up some frosting “What is it?” he asks, eyes still on the bowl since all they were doing by that time was wait for the cake to cool down

“Will you marry my papa?” Mingi almost chokes on the frosting that he had taste tested at the question

“Ah Jongie, it doesn’t work like that,” he says and Jongho pouts

“Why not?” he questions again, tasting the frosting as well while Mingi brings out some rainbow sprinkles

“Well, for starters we are not together and your papa is still waiting for other stuff to finish.” He doesn’t mention Seonghwa nor the divorce since it might be too complicated for Jongho to understand

“But you like papa!” the child raises his voice a bit, poking at the cake to see if it was warm enough to be covered in the strawberry frosting

“I do but things are difficult for now, okay baby?” Jongho hums before eventually nodding as Mingi gives him a spatula to spread out the frosting, it didn’t need to be perfect because they know that Hongjoong will appreciate it no matter what.

They stuck the candles on top of them before heading over to the bedroom to wake up Hongjoong with it

“Oh, hyung still gonna be my daddy, right?” he asks, looking up at him while he lit up the candles

“Yes Jongie, I’m still going to take care of you and your papa.”

That answer was enough for Jongho as he smiles again, getting up on the bed and jumping on the mattress

“Wake up Papa! Wake up!” he screams while Mingi just watches Hongjoong groan and cover himself up with the comforter

“Up!” Jongho screams even louder, snatching the covers away and even grabbing his hair to wake him up and this time Mingi grabs hold of the little boy because his excitement must have gotten the better of him.

“Mingi-ah, let’s not drink agai-“

“Happy birthday Papa!” Jongho greets, throwing his arms up while he was still in Mingi’s arms

“What?” Hongjoong rubs his eyes, still adjusting to the bright light coming from the sun before he sees what seemed to be a homemade cake on the bedside table

“Oh, you guys didn’t have to.” He says, sitting up, one eye was already opened while the other was still halfway closed

“Daddy help Jongie.” Jongho says confidently while telling his daddy to put him down so he can give his papa kisses

“More like Jongie woke me up and demanded that we make a cake.” Mingi corrects making Hongjoong chuckle airily

“The kitchen is still intact, right?” he teases making Mingi gasp, putting a hand on his chest

“I happen to be an excellent baker, learned from my mom and the kitchen is still there and very clean if I may add.” He says with confidence while sitting down next to them on the bed

“Well, don’t just sit there, blow the candles out.” He says and Hongjoong playfully glares at him but nonetheless, he closes his eyes to make a wish.

To be fair there wasn’t much that he wanted since everything was starting to become okay but he did wish for the divorce to come through as he couldn’t take another second of it, he wished that Jongho will stay with him forever, possibly even Mingi as well because he found a great deal of comfort in him.

When he opens his eyes, he watches the flames dance around a little before blowing them out and before he knows it, his cheek had some frosting on them thanks to his mischievous Jongho who immediately hops off the bed to retrieve his papa’s polaroid camera

“Jongie take picture of daddy and papa!” he announces and Hongjoong nods, inching closer to Mingi as he lifts up the cake but just as Jongho snaps the photo

He’d kissed Mingi on the cheek, catching him by surprise that was surely captured on the photo as he whispers out a soft _“Thank you.”_


	26. Chapter 26

Hongjoong had just woken up from his sleep, he stretches his body out like a cat as he lets out a huff, he must have slept in once more due to what happened the night prior.

He was quite surprised that he didn’t have any nightmares since he gets really vivid dreams whenever he was exhausted, but it may have something to do with how he was sure that whenever something bad happens, Mingi was always one call away and the same goes for Jongho, who hasn’t been woken up by his nightmares as well.

Hongjoong took this as a sign that both of them were slowly and surely healing from what had happened.

Seonghwa kept his word and left them alone while their divorce papers were getting processed, much to Hongjoong’s relief but with Seonghwa being Seonghwa, he was rather stubborn, causing the whole ordeal to drag on.

There were times that he was still in fear whenever he goes out in public without Mingi nor any of his friends, in fear of getting recognized, he was rather shocked when he received a call from Yunho telling him to go online.

He sees the company where Seonghwa worked at put out a statement that whoever harmed Hongjoong or Jongho will be served a lawsuit, it wasn’t initially Seonghwa’s doing but rather the CEO who absolutely adored Hongjoong and was absolutely mortified to see that Seonghwa never did anything to protect them from all the mistakes he caused.

Although he didn’t know who was truly behind it, he was thankful for what his soon-to-be ex-husband has done, he never reached out to him personally, only facing each other whenever they have to discuss matters in terms of splitting their properties and of course, the dreaded battle for custody over Jongho.

Seonghwa was still very hesitant about the whole ordeal and doesn’t participate much in their meetings which only prolonged the process, thus causing Hongjoong to put it on hold once more since he couldn’t take all the stress, especially when he’s just starting to get better.

All he wished was for Seonghwa to agree with his terms since nothing he can do will change his mind about trying again.

Hongjoong was basically up all night doing multiple things.

From polishing up another song that was for Minho’s showcase, to helping Jongho with his assignments, joining him with guitar lessons which Mingi subbed in for, taking charge of teaching him and to top it off, he ended up having to help San and Wooyoung in terms of calming down their little Hyesung just after Mingi left to go back to his own apartment.

The couple had originally called him but it progressed into a video call as they said that Hyesung wouldn’t sleep, always crying whenever Wooyoung puts him down on his crib, even grabbing his hair at some point making Hongjoong somewhat laugh as he teases the younger that it’s a sign he should cut his hair.

But he got back to being serious when San worried about him running a fever, having some rashes and a cough, although Hongjoong wanted to go over to their place, he couldn’t wake Jongho up since it was quite late, so he just did what he could to help while he was in his own home.

After Wooyoung shares more of what he noticed from Hyesung and the younger mentioned that all he wanted was to be cuddled, he seemed to be drooling more than usual and he kept chewing on his toys.

The older had a slight idea on what may be happening so he asks San to let him get a closer look at him, instructing him to open the little one’s mouth a bit and that’s when Hongjoong coos before telling the couple that the boy was teething and it was nothing to worry about, instructing them to get some teething gels as well as teethers to alleviate the pain.

It took almost until 2 a.m just for Hyesung to finally sleep after many many advices from Hongjoong, he claims that Jongho was never that difficult to handle when he was teething as he would be satisfied just from getting cuddles but there was the occasion that Jongho had bit him, it was awfully painful and left quite an indent.

After telling the couple about how much of an angel Jongho was to raise, San challenged him to take care of Hyesung for 3 days, one which Hongjoong took to show them who’s the boss since it wasn’t his first rodeo.

But at the same time he knew it was the couple’s excuse to have some time for themselves, he understands the struggles of being a parent and Hongjoong was happy to take care of Hyesung for them as he knows how stressful it is to take care of a child.

He knows that Jongho will be excited to hear that Hyesung will be staying with them, hell, he might even take charge in taking care of him.

After a few more stretches to get his body back in place, he gets out of the room and sees that Jongho was already on his little corner in their apartment, his hair was sticking up in various places as he strummed his little fingers on his guitar, learning how to play _"Sunrise"._

It must have stuck to the little boy since it was the song Mingi had danced with him to as he was bursting with happiness, the walls were a witness to how Hongjoong got his laughter back and maybe it also created a happy memory for Jongho since it’s been a while since they felt this good, safe and secured.

“Good morning baby.” Hongjoong greets him and Jongho immediately gets up from his spot on the floor to hug him and get his kisses “So, little Hyesung is gonna be coming later, as well as Sannie and Youngie but Hyesung will be staying with us for a bit, is that okay with you?”

Jongho immediately just lights up as he nods, claiming that he will help him with taking care of him when he has to do something, it made Hongjoong chuckle as he knew that this was Jongho’s way of acting like the big brother that he always wanted to be, little Hyesung could be his surrogate brother since it would be rather difficult to add a new member to the family with their current situation.

A knock on the door startled him but he knew that it could just be Mingi, he was always still knocking despite knowing the code to the door and Hongjoong leaves Jongho for a bit to open it

“Good morning!” Mingi chirps, his wide smile being so contagious that it also made Hongjoong smile too before letting him in, he settles what seemed to be a paper bag that had some food containers inside and Hongjoong goes red

“Ah, Mingi, you didn’t have to bring anything,” he says while looking at the taller man who sat on the couch while Jongho clambers to him to get his morning hugs and kisses

“Just keeping my promise in terms of taking care of you and judging by the sound of your stomach grumbling, you haven’t had breakfast and the same goes for little Jongie here.” he points out and Hongjoong curses him for his good hearing before he covers his stomach.

While Hongjoong was taking them out of the bag, the sound of Jongho’s giggles were filling up the room as he was getting tickled by Mingi while they were on the couch.

It was heartwarming to see that Jongho was beginning to become like his happy self again but it was a little bittersweet as he remembers how it used to be in their old home, how Seonghwa would struggle to dress up Jongho, the nights they spent squishing their little boy while they watch movies, him and Seonghwa relaxing in their backyard as they watch Jongho play around.

He missed everything but it also felt like part of it was a lie, thinking about how Seonghwa could have been just playing along with him for the past year, thinking about what was real and what was not real.

“Hey, you’re crying again,” he hears Mingi’s voice say, not even noticing that there were some tears that had streamed down his cheeks and definitely not noticing that Mingi was just a few steps away from him

“I’m sorry, I was just thinking, it’s nothing bad, I promise.” Hongjoong wiped his tears before going back to what he was doing and Mingi decides to help him while still continuing to talk.

“You know you can tell me, right? There’s nothing wrong with being vulnerable and you shouldn’t bottle this up, I know how difficult the process for the divorce is and I am more than willing to be here for you.” Mingi assures but then he sees Hongjoong’s eyes fly over to Jongho and Mingi was quick to understand that he didn’t really want Jongho to hear.

Mingi calls for Jongho and the little one was quick to sit up from the couch

“Yes Daddy?” 

“How about you go to the room for now, we’ll call you once the food is prepared.” the child nods, not being difficult as he didn’t want to cause any more trouble and with that he waddles away to the room, leaving the adults alone.

“You can talk about it now.” he sits him down on the table, Hongjoong lets out a deep sigh before opening his mouth to speak

“It’s just that I remembered how-”

They were both cut off by the knock on the door, Mingi excuses himself to see who it was while Hongjoong opts to take some food to the bedroom because Jongho will get cranky if he doesn’t get his food and he was sure that their conversation will be quite lengthy

Mingi’s eyes went wide as he opened it as it was the person he least expected to see

“H-Hello,” Yeosang stutters out, pulling his mask down and Mingi saw some changes in his appearance and it somewhat reminded him of Hongjoong.

“I’m sorry, did I get the wrong address?” he asks in a small voice and Mingi steps out a little

“Depends on who you’re looking for.” he says and the model sputters out “I’m looking for Kim Hongjoong, I was told he moved here and if it’s alright, I want to talk to him.” he explains and Mingi steps aside, making Yeosang look at him with some confusion.

“You got the right address, come inside.” Yeosang thanks him politely before stepping in, quite timidly if he should add because he didn’t know how Hongjoong would react when he sees the man partly responsible for the end of his marriage.

“He’s not going to eat you, just through here.” he leads him down the short hallway and Yeosang felt his heart thump with every step he made, he’s thought about what he wanted to say to Hongjoong for months, he’s stepped out of the spotlight for a while as he kept his promise with Changbin that he wanted to be himself again and he did exactly that, he waited for so long before he could muster up the words to use to apologize to Hongjoong as he was the one who was the most affected by the chaos he caused.

“Hey Min, who was it?” He hears Hongjoong’s voice bounce on the walls and he feels his knees buckle when he sees him, they almost bump into each other as he turns the corner but Mingi was able to hold Yeosang up as he almost stumbles on his feet.

“Hongjoong-ssi,” he gasps out, still holding on to Mingi tighter “Yeosang?” Hongjoong’s eyes widen as he looked quite different, his long blonde hair was chopped and dyed a darker brown color, just like his and he wasn’t dressed in expensive clothing that he used to see him in but rather he was dressed in more simple clothes

“I apologize for intruding but is it possible if we can speak, just the two of us?” his voice sounded careful and Hongjoong saw the nervous look on his face and he nods before looking over at Mingi “Can you go check up on Jongho, please?” he asks, Mingi obliges, telling him to just let out a holler if he needs something.

Hongjoong offers Yeosang to take a seat, even asking him if he wanted something to drink but the younger declines, telling him that he won’t take much of his time that long unless things don't go as planned but Yeosang was more than ready to take all the frustrations that Hongjoong may throw towards him.

“First and foremost, I want to apologize for everything that happened, hell an apology is not enough to be honest.” Yeosang spoke out, unable to even look at Hongjoong as he felt shameful and disappointed with himself for what he has become

“I knew I fucked up, I knew that he was married to you but I still ended up continuing a relationship with him,” he felt like his heart was going to drop to his stomach with every word he spoke out, he would only hear Hongjoong hum and let out a soft _“go on”_ before he would continue and he wonders how Hongjoong can still be kind-hearted despite the position they were in.

“I loved Seonghwa, I loved him, he was the only one who somewhat made me feel what love really is but,” he lets out a sigh as he thought about how he was basically just used

“I knew from the start that he could never be mine, I know that I can truly never have him nor does he still want me, I was basically just some glorified sex doll for him.” his voice cracks as warm tears dragged down his face and Hongjoong hushes him, dabbing his tears away which made Yeosang flinch before calming down after Hongjoong assured him that it’s just him.

“I took him away from you and your family, it was a selfish action that dragged on for a year and you didn’t deserve that, Hongjoong-ssi, you never deserved how the people treated you, they don’t even know anything about it.” His lips quivered as he spoke but he remembered what Changbin had told him and he continues. 

Yeosang’s time with Changbin made him realize even more that Seonghwa doesn’t really love him, the time he had with himself made him remember his own fucked up past and he didn’t want another rehash of it, he didn’t want to ruin another family much like how he unintentionally ruined his parents’ relationship by being born.

“In the end, most of his promises to me were empty and he ended up leaving me after everything came out, I thought that perhaps he would put a stop to what was being said but he ended up throwing me into the pack of wolves that were the media and even some of the people that I had to work with, he claimed that he loved me yet when everything went to shit, he just threw me away like an old doll.” Hongjoong saw how unsteady his breathing was and he just saw himself when he was in that position, he knew how painful it was and his parental instinct jumped out as he reached out, patting his back as means of comforting him.

He waited until the younger man calmed down, Hongjoong wasn’t bothered as he felt his shirt getting wet with his tears as he just continued to soothe him since he was in his shoes for quite a while in terms of feeling the pain.

“He told me at one point that he felt as if he doesn’t love you anymore.” Yeosang says with a sniffle, bringing the cup of tea up to his lips after Hongjoong brewed him some to help his body calm itself

“I didn’t really believe him when he says it as I think his mind gets clouded with that thought because of the temporary happiness I’ve given him, he’s loved you since you were young and I know that a love like that doesn’t just fade away in an instant.” Hongjoong just listens intently to Yeosang, giving him the chance to explain himself based on his own perspective of what the relationship was like.

“An apology will never be enough for all the pain I have caused in your part and by extension, in Jongho’s part,” Hongjoong nods, egging him to keep going

“We were both selfish, I was selfish for wanting a love that I know I couldn’t have. I caused so much damage to your family Hongjoong-ssi and I would understand if you don’t accept my apology as this wasn’t just some simple mistake.” 

Yeosang concluded his piece and sees that Hongjoong was holding a small smile, putting a hand on the younger’s cheek

“It’s something that shouldn’t be forgiven so easily and you know that but it’s something that I wouldn’t hold against you,” Yeosang was surprised at the answer and he rambles out how he shouldn’t just forgive him like that but Hongjoong hushes him

“You’re young, Yeosang and you work in an industry where you didn’t have much of the freedom to be with whoever you wanted, you could be in a relationship but you don’t really know what goes through the latter’s mind since they could just be taking advantage of your fame and I can understand how you were just as blinded by the feeling of being loved, for the most part, I was too, I kept letting Seonghwa toy around with me before everything that had happened, and I’m not one who would hold a grudge.” Yeosang nods like a child listening to a parent before telling Hongjoong something rather important.

“I don’t know if you’ve been keeping up with the news but I won’t be staying here in Korea anymore, the company basically terminated my contract due to what happened and with very good reason, I understand, it just dawns me that it took quite a long time,” Hongjoong tilts his head on the news as it came as a shock

“I will be moving to Japan, along with a friend of mine, I wanted a fresh start and perhaps stay out of the spotlight, I don’t know if it’s for good but I’ve worked since I was a kid and I just want to be out of it.” he further explains and Hongjoong understood the decision, letting him know that despite all the shit that is happening, there’s still a possibility of coming back from this.

“You’re so nice, what the fuck?” Yeosang says while wiping his tears away while Hongjoong chuckles before telling him that he’s wasted enough tears and to try and seek help for whatever he may be going through so he’d be able to move past his slow downward spiral.


	27. Chapter 27

Jongho was excited upon seeing the heavy snow on that early December morning, it has been snowing for quite some time but Jongho was still excited since whenever he woke up, the snow fall would have ended and already has covered the city in a blanket of it.

He slips out of his _“Parents”_ hold as he climbs up on Mingi’s desk that was placed in front of the window, he sees how the window was all fogged up and he ended up drawing on the glass before completely wiping it away so he can watch the snow gently fall on the city.

“What are you doing up there, baby?” Mingi asks, waking up after feeling Jongho shift around and he stands up as well, wrapping his arms around him as they both watched the snow

“Daddy, want hot chocolate.” Jongho says, turning back to him as he smiles widely and Mingi nods, scooping him up in his arms before sitting down on the bed to wake up Hongjoong.

“Joongie,” he says in a soft voice, pushing the hair that had fallen over his eyes “It’s time to wake up.” He says, Hongjoong just mumbles how he didn’t want to get up because it’s cold and even trying to pull Mingi back into cuddling again

“Then I guess only Jongie and I are getting hot chocolate and maybe even some fluffy pancakes,” This time it was Jongho’s ears that rang, he loves his daddy’s pancakes, even admitting that he loves it more than his papa’s which caused offense to Hongjoong at one point but who can blame him? Mingi’s cooking is just that good.

“Papa, wakey wake!” Jongho scrambles down on the bed, getting on top of the lump of a body underneath the thick comforter and this time an inaudible sound came from Hongjoong while Jongho was still trying to fully wake him up

“Come on, baby, you can sleep on the couch while we make breakfast.” Mingi says, pulling the covers off Hongjoong “Baby?” Hongjoong squeaked, catching the little nickname that the taller had let out and this made Mingi blush in embarrassment “I am so sorry-“

“No, Min, it’s okay,” Hongjoong assures, also hiding his own blushing face with the covers “It’s cute.” He admits before letting out a soft sigh as he prepares to go back to sleep “Wakey please.” Jongho leans down on him, kissing his cheeks countless of times since it was something that always worked in fairytales to wake but he tilts his head as he wonders why his Papa still didn’t fully wake up and this time he turns to his Daddy.

“Daddy, I think you should kiss him, Jongie’s kisses won’t work.” Mingi chuckles at Jongho’s suggestion and Hongjoong also lifts his head up upon hearing this but Jongho doesn’t really see since he was looking at Mingi.

“Should I?” Mingi questions Jongho who nods rapidly, tugging at his shirt and telling him to wake him up because he was already getting hungry, Hongjoong had pulled the covers away a bit once more as he looked up at the taller man who was blushing like crazy at Jongho’s idea “Why do you look like a tomato?” Jongho asks, tilting his head and he remembered what his Hwanwoong Hyung mentioned that one time.

“Oh, oh! Daddy is whipped!” he announces, bouncing a bit which made Hongjoong groan since his baby was still on top of him “Daddy kissie!” Jongho grabs Mingi, for a child, he was rather strong and this causes Mingi to tumble over Hongjoong who squeals before letting out a giggle

“I’m sorry about that Joongie.” Mingi apologizes, smiling sheepishly but Hongjoong doesn’t say a word as he gives him a kiss on the tip of his nose “Good morning to you.” Hongjoong smirks as he sees how Mingi’s cheeks turned red once more before completely getting up.

He was a mess but Mingi thinks he’s always pretty in the mornings, his hair was somewhat all over the place and the sweater he’d stolen from him was sliding off his shoulder since it was way too big for him “Daddy it worked!” Jongho cheers since Hongjoong was up now, the brunette just flashes him a dopey smile before giving Jongho his morning kisses.

“Well, time for you to feed me because you, Sir, woke me up.” He pokes Mingi’s cheek a couple of times before he gets up, stretching his body out and gasping when he sees the snow fall, he immediately presses his face on to the window as his doe-like eyes followed some of the snowflakes that were collecting on the corner “I can see where Jongho gets it from.” Mingi comments as Hongjoong spins around to look at them

“Jongie, you know what we’re doing later on!” Hongjoong reminds and the realization made Jongho squeal and cheer, throwing his hands up in the air and Mingi got a tad confused as to what it could mean, why Hongjoong and Jongho were so excited at the snowfall.

As expected, Hongjoong ended up settling on Mingi’s couch while still cocooned in the comforter, he wasn’t sleeping but rather watching some cartoon while a mug of hot chocolate was in between his cold hands.

Jongho was watching with him at first before he went ahead to pester Mingi and slowly snatch away some chocolate chips whenever the man looks away, the young boy was on his second cup of hot chocolate and Hongjoong was sure enough that he will be very energetic until night time.

Hongjoong felt a bit weirded out that at time of the morning, he was just sitting down and enjoying himself since he couldn’t remember the last time he was able to just relax since he was always up on his feet even before the sun can rise up.

The smell of the warm pancakes engulfed his senses and he was quick to get up on his feet and sit down on the dining table with Jongho who was spooning out the melted marshmallows inside his little mug, Mingi passes him a plate of the pancakes with some nutella on them as he liked it and Hongjoong thanks him, immediately melting at how good it tasted

“So, are you admitting that perhaps I am a much better cook than you?” Mingi tests, bringing his mug up to his lips and sipping the hot drink that warmed up his insides “Of course not, I am much better than you.” Hongjoong says confidently with a mouthful and Mingi hums, liking the challenge as he turns to Jongho

“Baby bear, who’s food do you like more, mine or your Papa’s?” he asks and Hongjoong was taken aback, knowing that children don’t lie, Jongho had some melted chocolate smears all over his mouth as well as crumbs “Daddy’s of course!” he says happily and this bumped up Mingi’s ego as he sips on his drink while looking at Hongjoong who’s eye twitched

“Baby, I’ve cooked for you ever since you can chew and you betray me like this?” he gasped, feigning hurt and Jongho just shrugs, continually stuffing his face with food “I like Papa’s food too but Daddy’s food is also tasty.” He says, apologizing to his Papa afterwards before asking for another plate and luckily Mingi was able to make some extra.

Their morning continued as normal, the father and son ended up staying a bit longer in Mingi’s place as they watched an animated film in the living room, sharing some more hot chocolate as well as some brownies that Mingi was able to whip out with some help from Hongjoong.

They did cause a bit of a mess while making some whipped cream because Hongjoong was feeling brave and smeared some of it on the taller’s cheek and Mingi was quick to retaliate, they only stopped after hearing Jongho complain that they were being too loud that he can’t hear what was going on in the movie.

⚝──⭒─⭑─⭒──⚝

As the day continued, it was late in the afternoon when Hongjoong told Mingi to get dressed in warm clothing because they were going out, Mingi obliges and they meet up at the parking garage where Hongjoong opt to take his car since he was the one who knows where they were going.

Jongho was noticeably excited since he can’t stay still in his seat, he was dressed in winter clothes that Hongjoong made just for him, even his scarf was knitted by Hongjoong himself but not only did he make one for Hongjoong, he made one for Mingi too, the taller was thankful for it and let’s Hongjoong wrap it around his neck so he was warm.

They didn’t do much during the drive, they just conversed a bit while listening to music and singing along to it, they passed by buildings upon buildings until Hongjoong pulls up in an indoor ice rink

“Oh, this is different,” Mingi comments as he gets out, unbuckling Jongho from the backseat and setting him down on the ground, holding his hand so he doesn’t slip

“I learned ice skating for a bit while I was a kid and I watched Yuri on Ice when I was in college.” Mingi chuckles before putting an arm around Hongjoong “You are a man of many talents.” He praises

“You play the piano, you produce music, you can sing and rap, you are also amazing at art, and now I am learning that you know how to ice skate, what else are you hiding from me, hm?” Hongjoong smirks as he mimics a zipper over his lips while they get closer and closer in the rink.

Mingi was helping Jongho with his own ice skates when Hongjoong came back from somewhere

“Look, I know how to skate but I am not that good and I will most likely fall on my butt.” Mingi admits before taking Hongjoong’s hand, Jongho didn’t even wait for them as he was already running towards the ice, there weren’t much people so Hongjoong didn’t worry about him bumping into people.

“If you figure skate, my jaw will literally fall off.” Mingi jokingly points out and Hongjoong smiles a tad menacingly before they took off the skate’s safe guards before going on the ice.

Mingi was very much like Bambi stepping on the ice for the first time while Hongjoong was helping him find his balance, Jongho just skates around them for a bit while teasing his Daddy for not knowing how to.

He was getting the hang of it afterwards, even skating behind Jongho for a bit but of course he was careful when doing turns because it’s one of his struggles.

Mingi notices how Jongho immediately stops after hearing a familiar song emanate from the speakers

“Oh, Daddy let’s watch Papa do his favorite dance!” he holds on to Mingi’s fingers, pulling him over to the sidelines so they can watch Hongjoong with ease.

The man watches as Hongjoong seemed to glide all the way to the center of the rink where there was some space, he worries a bit when he sees Hongjoong stumble a bit while doing what seemed to be the routine from the actual anime, granted he’s never seen it but he definitely will after seeing Hongjoong do it.

Every time he almost loses his balance while doing jumps, Hongjoong always got back on his feet effortlessly, the wind blew through his face, causing his hair to push back to show more of his angular yet angelic features. Mingi had bent down, asking Jongho what the song was since he was curious, it sounded like what would play if he enters the gates of heaven

“I don’t know the whole thing but Papa says it’s Agape.” He answers, eyes still following Hongjoong as if it’s the first time he’s seen it when Hongjoong always takes him ice skating every time the snow fall is heavy, it’s something he always looks forward to during the winter.

“Agape.” Mingi whispers, it meant unconditional love and Mingi finds it fitting that Hongjoong does the routine to that particular song since it’s what he exudes through his actions and his words, he cared a lot about people, he’s selfless and genuine, always wanting the best for others, putting them forward before himself.

Mingi could barely take his eyes off him as he thought about how Hongjoong is the human embodiment of the song, he is as ethereal as an angel, he is beautiful from the inside and outside, his beauty could rival that of Aphrodite’s and he was gentle as a white dove.

God, Hongjoong was the most amazing person he’s ever laid his eyes on.


	28. Chapter 28

“Are you sure it’s okay for us to come with you, Gi?” Hongjoong asks while helping Mingi load his car with his bags as well as some boxes upon boxes of school supplies “Of course you can come Joong, my parents are okay with it and I wouldn’t want you and Jongie to spend Christmas here.” Mingi says in an assuring tone even gesturing to Jongho who was already in the backseat of his car

“Come on Joongie, it’ll be fun.” Mingi adds, squishing his cheeks a bit “Well, seeing as we’re already dressed and my bags are in the car, I don’t have much of a choice.” He smiles sheepishly before Mingi walks him to the passenger’s seat, opening the door for him causing Hongjoong to comment on how much of a gentleman he is

“I certainly try.” Mingi replies before closing the door on him and walking over to the driver’s seat so they can go on the road. It would only take less than an hour to get to his own hometown but since it was snowing, the roads were rather icy and dangerous so Mingi had to drive at a more slower pace just to assure everyone’s safety.

“So do you always do this during the holidays or?” Hongjoong asks, opening a packet of gummy worms for him to snack on “Pretty much, I also teach during summer, voluntary of course but I also do summer classes for students who are kind of falling behind.” Mingi explains, opening his mouth as Hongjoong fed him a gummy worm seeing as he couldn’t really take his hands off the wheel

“Any particular reason why?” Hongjoong was curious as to why it’s something that Mingi does, he’s just so fascinated with Mingi’s life outside of the city basically.

He was curious since Mingi had taken him out, asking for help when he bought so much school supplies and Mingi explained that it’s his way of making the holidays special for the kids in adoption centers in his hometown, telling Hongjoong how his parents would take him with them almost every weekend, how he had a lot of temporary brothers and sisters since his parents’ house were open to foster kids and when he started growing up more, he found himself wanting to be able to continue what his parents do.

“That’s so sweet Mingi, is that why you initially became a teacher?” he got a nod as an answer, eyes still kept forward so he was a bit oblivious at how Hongjoong was looking at him with nothing but adoration in his eyes, he was really enamored at how kind-hearted Mingi is, he experienced it firsthand since they’ve basically known each other for quite a long time now and everyday he just sees and discovers something about him.

Since Mingi knew the in’s and out’s of his district, it didn’t take long before they were in his street and that’s when Hongjoong grew a bit nervous “So, is there something you’d like to do? Somewhere you want to go to?” Mingi asks, not only asking Hongjoong but Jongho as well

“Daddy, can we play in the snow?” Jongho pipes up for the first time during the drive “I don’t know, you might get sick.” Mingi points out and he lets out a whine “Pretty please.” He pleads, reaching out and tugging at his Papa’s jacket causing him to turn his head

“Okay but not too long and when I tell you to get back inside the house, you’re coming inside, okay?” Jongho nods before sitting up straight as Mingi told him that they were only around 10 minutes away until they reach their house.

“Should we explore all the places you go to, I’ve never been here so, might be a good thing to do.” Hongjoong says, checking himself out in the visor’s mirror “Might be a good thing to do, perhaps after we drop our little gifts at the adoption center and then I can show you and Jongie around.” Mingi plans out and Hongjoong nods.

“Wow,” Hongjoong whistles when they pulled up in Mingi’s childhood home “You’re like one of those chaebols in dramas.” Hongjoong teases, waiting for Mingi to stop the car and Jongho was just as enamored but he was more excited to play in the snow that had collected in the front lawn of Mingi’s house.

Hongjoong gets out of his side and opens the backseat door for Jongho, he barely had the chance to catch him because he immediately runs towards the thick snow that covered the ground, almost diving into it and Hongjoong just lets out a soft laugh at how precious he was but they needed to be respectful and actually introduce themselves to Mingi’s family just to get it out of the way, he takes his own bag out of the car along with Jongho’s while Mingi gets hold of his own. 

“Go on, just straight ahead.” Mingi points at the front door and Hongjoong takes a gulp but proceeds nonetheless with Jongho holding on to his jacket, covered in some snow that Mingi dusted off him just before entering the house

“Wait, did you tell them we were coming with you?” Mingi shakes his head as he opens the door for them “Mingi, what the-“ “Language Hongjoong, we have a little bear cub with us.” He reminds referring to Jongho and Hongjoong immediately blushes since he had to be reminded not to curse in front of his son

“Don’t worry about it, as I said, our home is open to everyone.” He pats his head, pulling his hood off and helping Jongho out of his jacket and snow boots, sorting them in the rack next to the door “Mom! Dad! I’m home!” he hollers and Hongjoong immediately hides behind him, Jongho was just confused but he stayed in his place right in front of Mingi.

“Gigi, why do you have to announce that you’re home?” His mother comes into the frame and this time Hongjoong takes a peak, curious as to how she would look like and she was a beautiful woman, she had the same eyes as Mingi and the same smile “I know but I have someone with me.” Mingi felt Hongjoong’s grip on his back grow tighter as if she hadn’t seen Jongho who was rocking on his heels

“Oh, who is this little one? Is this Jongho?” she smiles, referring to Jongho and she crouches down at him, pinching his cheeks “Yes Mom, this is Jongho,” He answers and he steps aside, revealing Hongjoong behind him

“And this is Hongjoong.” He pushes him forward and he looked like a lost puppy, wide-eyed and nervous “Oh, this is the Hongjoong you’ve been talking about,” she smiles at Hongjoong while Mingi blushes since he forgot about how much of a blabbermouth his mom is and perhaps sharing to her about his little crush on Hongjoong wasn’t a good idea

“No need to be nervous, my dear boy, anyone who’s special to Mingi becomes special to us too.” She spoke gently before glaring at Mingi “It’s great to meet both of you, however, I would have appreciated it if my son here told me before hand that way we could have prepared a meal and have lunch together.” Mingi just shrugs while Hongjoong tells her that it’s not really necessary since they’ve planned to go out after dropping their stuff off but she will not take no for an answer, especially not on the day before Christmas

“No, we are having lunch together and I am not taking no as an answer.” She insists before looking down at Jongho “How about you two get some rest and I’ll get this little one here a snack.” She immediately picks him up from the ground, Hongjoong was surprised to see Jongho feel at ease with her since he’s quite a shy boy but perhaps he was too engrossed at getting a snack “I could see where this little one got his cute looks from,” she comments, booping his nose before turning her attention back to Hongjoong

“Oh and Hongjoong, you’re much more beautiful in person than what Mingi has-“

“Mom, oh my God, leave him be!” Mingi pulls Hongjoong back into his arms and the woman puts on hand on her hip “Mingi, I’m just saying everything you’ve told me, Hongjoong, I hope you and Jongho will enjoy your stay here, I’ll call you when lunch is all done and then we can take a look at Mingi’s baby photos, oh I have lots of stories to tell you.” She says excitedly before going to the kitchen, cooing at Jongho while leaving Hongjoong quite astonished “Well, that was something else.” He lets out a breathy chuckle, feeling like he’s held his breath in for so long before Mingi leads him upstairs to his room.

“I’m sorry about my mom, I guess she’s just excited I brought someone home for the holidays.” Mingi apologizes as he lies down on the bed while Hongjoong freshens himself up in the bathroom “It’s alright, oh and is Gigi your nickname?” he smirks, patting his face with a towel

“You caught on to that, hm?” Hongjoong nods, sitting down next to him on the bed “Also, your mom is really nice, I never really got that response from Hwa’s parents.” He admits while Mingi gasps, sitting back up “Did they not like you or something?” he questions

“You could say that, I’ve only been to his place a handful of times because his parents disliked me with a passion.” It wasn’t a big deal to Hongjoong anymore because he’s pretty sure that Seonghwa’s family is throwing a party because they were getting a divorce.

“How can someone dislike you when you’re the most likeable person, like ever.” Mingi points out, lying back down on the bed, his muscles a bit sore from driving at such an agonizing pace “Is that why you started liking me?” Hongjoong quizzes, following his actions and lying down on the bed, letting out a satisfied noise at how soft it was “Well, I liked you for your music at first, could say that I fell for one of your many talents.” He answers confidently “Should we do something about that?” Hongjoong suggests, feeling a bit playful and Mingi turns on his side to look at him

“Joong, don’t feel pressured to return whatever romantic feelings I have for you, you’re still healing from the last relationship you’ve been in, I like you a lot and I am more than willing to wait until you are ready to be in a relationship again but for now, just focus on yourself and on Jongho.” Hongjoong felt as if something had went through his chest as he starts to tear up causing Mingi to panic and cup his cheek

“Joong, don’t take that the wrong way, fuck, I should have worded that a lot better.” Hongjoong shakes his head, telling him that he doesn’t need to apologize and he wipes the tears that had welled up in his eyes “Then what’s wrong? You can always tell me.”

“It’s, gosh Mingi,” Hongjoong looks up so no more tears would escape his eyes as he fans himself “Joongue, what is it?” Mingi was worried, he was scared to even touch him because he didn’t know how he was feeling after what he had said

“This is the first time that someone has told me that, the first time that someone had put my feelings first.” Mingi lets out a sigh of relief before hugging Hongjoong, engulfing him since he was bigger than him “I would never ever take advantage of you, I want you to be completely okay first before I could seriously court you,” Mingi admits and Hongjoong pulls away to look at him “Court? That’s very traditional.” He comments, chuckling at the end

“It’s what my dad told me to do when I like someone, as a way of showing them that I am serious and willing to wait for an answer.” He explains “I never wanted to take you by surprise and ask you on a date months prior because I didn’t want you to feel obligated to, you were also very vulnerable at that time and I just want you to be in the right headspace so neither of us regret anything if we were to pursue something more than friendship.” Hongjoong just lets out a purr as he listened to Mingi’s perspective and also because he was running his fingers through his hair

“I’m willing to wait for whatever you may want, Joongie.”

⚝──⭒─⭑─⭒──⚝

“Oh look how cute they are, Honey.” Hongjoong hears Mrs. Song’s voice, feeling the bed dip from his side as well “Yes, yes, I know sweetheart but please leave them be, you’ve been going at it for 5 minutes now and we were only just supposed to call them down for lunch.” He hears another voice who he assumed belonged to Mingi’s dad and this time he decides to fully wake up “Uh, hello?” he greets, voice groggy and one eye still closed.

“Oh Hongjoong, did you sleep well?” Mrs. Song asks and he nods “It’s nice to meet you Hongjoong, I’m Mingi’s dad if it’s not obvious enough,” he lets out a hearty chuckle and Hongjoong reached out to shake his hand “We just went up here to tell you that lunch is ready and Jongho needs a change of clothes for playing in the snow.” Mrs. Song informs and Hongjoong nods

“Yes, of course, we’ll just freshen up, thank you so much.” The couple smiles at him before bee-lining out of the door.

“Look at this!” he hears Mrs. Song squeal before they can even get through the threshold and he saw that she was showing him photos of them sleeping, Hongjoong just lets out a huff because this was surely something he’s going to tell Mingi.

“Did you have fun baby?” he turns his attention to Jongho, opening his duffel bag to take out some clothes “Lots of fun! Grandpa played with me in the snow too.” He says happily before following his Papa into the bathroom, he was a bit taken aback that Mingi’s parents let him call them his grandparents but he’s sure that they must have insisted

“Really?” Jongho nods, sitting on the edge of the tub while waiting for the water to fill up the tub “Yeah, we made snowman and had snowball fight, Grandma also played too.” He puts Jongho in the tub as soon as the temperature was warm

“Papa,” Hongjoong hums while washing his hair “Why Jongie never met Papa’s mommy and daddy?” he asks, Hongjoong’s lips pressed into a thin line since he’s never really told Jongho about it but perhaps it was time to do so.

“Well, Papa’s daddy is in heaven before Jongie was born and mommy lives far away but I’m sure that they would be happy to have met you.” He explains, sugar-coating it since he was young. Hongjoong was sure that his father would have adored Jongho, if it weren’t for his untimely death but Hongjoong knows he’s at peace after battling his illness for years, he didn’t know if he could say the same about his mom though since she basically left Hongjoong just a year after the death of his father but he’s sure that wherever she is, she must be happy.

After dressing up Jongho, he turns to Mingi who was still sleeping soundly but he needed to wake him up “Min, your parents are calling for us,” he shakes him but he didn’t get a response “Papa, try kissing him.” Jongho suggests and Hongjoong snickers at his innocence

“Gigi, do you want a kiss?” he whispers with some humor to him and before he can comprehend anything, Jongho pushes him from behind, making him fall on the bed and accidentally kissing Mingi in his sleep but it surely woke him up

“Did you just-“

“Daddy’s awake! See Papa, I told you kissies work!” Jongho says triumphantly while his _“parents”_ were blushing like mad “I’m so sorry Min, Jongie pushed me while I was trying to wake you-“ Hongjoong was cut off when Mingi just smiles shyly, telling him it’s okay “It was quite nice though.” Hongjoong admits quietly, bringing his fingers up to his lips, still feeling the tingly sensation when their lips touched, even if it was by accident

“You okay Joong, you look quite flushed.” Mingi comments, making himself look presentable “I’m very much okay, more than okay.”

When they went downstairs, they both hear Mingi’s mom still gushing over them and she basically hops off her seat when she sees the trio “I hope you’re both hungry, I somehow went a bit overboard but anything for the special people in Mingi’s life.” Mingi groans at his mom but nonetheless he pulls out a seat for Hongjoong and Jongho.

Mingi had basically tuned out all the stuff his parents had told Hongjoong, especially the stories about his embarrassing moments.

“So, I hear that you’re a man of many talents, what is it that you do?” Mr. Song asks Hongjoong “Oh, for now I am making music but when it comes to my actual day job, I own my own clothing boutique, I do the designs, mock-ups and I also do customized clothing.” The couple nods as Mrs. Song immediately asks for his business page just to see what he had going on

“And I hear that Jongho here is becoming quite a professional with the guitar.” She brings up making Jongho smile and Hongjoong nods “Yeah,” he agrees “Mingi here was the one who told me about his interest for it, I was rather busy at the time that I didn’t really notice it but I’m happy he was able to tell me.” He adds, he would never forget how Mingi was the one who was honing out Jongho’s talents before he was able to go to classes for it “Will you be joining us later as well?” Mr. Song asks, referring to their tradition of going to their local orphanage

“Yes, we’d be happy to come with you, it’ll be a first for me and Jongho.”

After lunch, Hongjoong insists on helping Mrs. Song with cleaning up, he was surprised that despite the obvious wealth, they didn’t have any housekeepers around and Mrs. Song explained that she’s a very hands-on housewife and has taught Mingi to be responsible while he was growing up.

“So, has Mingi told you about how our tradition started or why he became a teacher?” Hongjoong shakes his head since it was something they never really talked about “Well, Mingi has a little brother,” she starts and Hongjoong paused from washing the dishes “He was really excited when he found out but unfortunately he didn’t really live to see the day.” Hongjoong turns to look at her and she had a solemn look on her face as she looks at her son

“My little Gigi was sad at first but he did gain a lot of unofficial brothers and sisters because we had opened our home to the kids in need as a way to somehow give the love that we were unable to give to our second born.” She explains further “It’s also why he became a teacher rather than pursuing a business course to be his dad’s successor for the company because he wants to be able to teach children, it’s always been a dream of his, he’s all about sharing and giving, he expects nothing in return because he feels successful whenever he sees his impact on them, he’s very passionate with what he does and very proud.” Hongjoong’s eyes also lingered on Mingi who had Jongho in his arms, showing him the photos that were framed up on their wall, perhaps telling him stories about them

“Not only that but he’s humble, I bet he never told you about our home here?” she smiles and Hongjoong shook his head, sharing how surprised he was upon seeing where he grew up “And I bet he never told you about his scholarships too?” she quizzes while helping herself to a glass of wine, asking Hongjoong if he wanted one as well and he accepts “He’s really that humble, huh?” he asks, bringing the glass up to his lips

“Yes, he’s not one to brag but as his mom, I have bragging rights to how much of a good person my Gigi is.” Hongjoong chuckles but agrees since he’s a parent as well and he knows the feeling “My Gigi is intelligent, he worked so hard to get a scholarship for his bachelor’s degree and eventually his master’s, taking them back to back before he became a board certified teacher and making it into the top 10.” Hongjoong was surprised upon learning these facts about Mingi

“Well, I won’t keep you for long, thank you for your help, how about you go spend time with him and Jongho, I’m sure Gigi’s excited to show you around.”

It didn’t take long before they were walking out in the neighborhood, Mingi opting to take them to a café he frequented to as a teenager, gushing about they had the best desserts. Mingi had Jongho on his back, piggy-backing him, one hand holding him up while the other was holding Hongjoong’s hand

“So, Gigi, you say I am a man of many talents but I heard from your mom quite a lot about yourself.” Hongjoong teases, swinging their tangled hands in the air “Oh no, what did she tell you?” Mingi asks, feigning dread but he knows that his mother must have told him about how he was as a student.

“Hm, just about how you were an exemplary student, why have you never told me about it?” he asks and Mingi shrugs

“I don’t know, I’m not one to really talk about that.” He says, guiding Hongjoong during every turn “So not only are you selfless, kind-hearted, humble but you’re also quite intelligent, what secrets are you keeping from me?” Hongjoong questions, repeating what Mingi had said the time they went ice skating

“Other than that, nothing much, you already know how much I like you so that’s not a secret anymore, is it?” he hums “Yeah.” Hongjoong mumbles softly as he thinks about how he has trusted Mingi over the months.

“Gi,” Hongjoong blurts out causing the taller man to look at him “Yes Joong?” he asks, worried if there was something wrong “Should we do baby steps?” he asks, barely audible due to the scarf wrapped around him “I can’t understand you Joong, hold on.” Mingi stops their steps as he turns to him, pulling the scarf down a bit just under Hongjoong’s lips

“I know that stuff between me and you know who isn’t officially done yet but could we take baby steps?” he asks and Mingi’s eyes widen “Joong, are you sure? I know we accidentally kissed and I told you that I can wait.” He repeats, he didn’t want Hongjoong to jump into it immediately, he wanted Hongjoong to be completely free before they pursue anything but with the genuine look on his face, Mingi knew he was serious

“Even if we didn't kiss, I would still ask about this so let’s try baby steps for now and see where it leads us.” Hongjoong answers, his eyes glimmering with hope as their eyes were locked together and Mingi brings his hand up to his lips, kissing the back of it

“Then I would be happy to court you, Hongjoong.”


	29. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PLEASE PROCEED WITH CAUTION ONCE MORE SINCE THERE WILL BE ATTEMPTED SEXUAL ASSAULT IN THE FIRST HALF. IF YOU ARE UNCOMFORTABLE OR IF YOU FIND IT TRIGGERING, PLEASE SKIP OVER TO THE SECOND HALF OF THIS CHAPTER AFTER THE BORDER.

Hongjoong was having a peaceful night by himself, he was doing some embroidery work that he got as a gift from Mrs. Song and drinking some wine since it has been a while since he had the place to himself. Jongho was with Mr. and Mrs. Song, they’ve taken him out to an amusement park since they absolutely adored him and will even be sleeping over at their house.

Hongjoong was reluctant at first since Jongho wasn’t really used to sleeping without him or Mingi but the little boy really wanted to go, wanting to spend time with his newfound grandparents and he prevailed with a promise from Mr. Song that they will call him if ever there are some problems.

Mingi was on his way back as well, he had called him earlier to tell him he got stuck in traffic but in reality he was picking up some flowers for him, to surprise him since he has started courting him. They’ve decided to keep it a secret since they didn’t want it to affect the divorce process, especially with Seonghwa still being downward stubborn.

Hongjoong lifts his head up from the embroidery as he hears a knock on the door, he groans but still gets up on his feet, wearing a pair of pajamas since he was in a pair of short shorts that hid underneath Mingi’s oversized shirt that he had stolen.

He had been feeling quite refreshed after spending the holidays with Mingi and his family since they were extremely nice and he even got to meet lots of kids and Jongho even made some friends.

The knocking got louder and more rapid so he figured that either Mingi was really excited or he needed to use the bathroom

“Gigi, hold on, I’m coming!” he calls out, slipping on some fuzzy slippers, he was ready to remind him how he already knows the code to his door and he really should stop knocking every time he comes over. He was ready to see the smile of the man who was courting him after almost a whole day of being apart.

“Gigi, did you- Seonghwa?” his positive demeanor immediately changes upon seeing his ex-husband leaning against the threshold of the door, the smell of whiskey evident “Sweetheart,” he uses the younger’s pet name, lifting his head up and letting Hongjoong deeply look at his dark eyes

“Joongie, let’s go home.” He reaches out for him but Hongjoong was quick to back away, preparing to slam the door on his face but Seonghwa was a lot bigger than him and stronger so he just partially sticks his body through the door.

“Hwa, please leave.” Hongjoong asks, his tone was firm and authoritative but Seonghwa just rolls his eyes, muttering about how Hongjoong can’t tell him what to do

“You don’t get it, do you? I don’t want to be with you anymore, is it that hard to get through your thick skull?” Hongjoong adds, he wasn’t going to let Seonghwa talk him down and the older didn’t take this too kindly as he grabs Hongjoong by the jaw, squeezing quite tight which caused fear to surge through his small body. He tries jerking away from him but Seonghwa manhandles him as if he was a sack of rice before pinning him down on the couch

“Do you really think I’m just going to let go of you just like that, sweetheart?” his tone was menacing as Hongjoong can only look at him with wavering pupils, this wasn’t the Seonghwa he fell in love with when they were young, he doesn’t know who this man was.

“You are coming home with me, you and Jongho, do you really think I’m gonna allow you to raise my son with another man?” he taunts, hands wandering over Hongjoong’s shaking body, his chest was heaving quite heavily and he wanted nothing more than for Mingi to come home.

“God, I missed you.” He hears Seonghwa whisper before leaning down to litter his neck with kisses, Hongjoong started to panic because he didn’t want any part of Seonghwa in his life and that’s when he started to thrash, trying to get out of his bruising grip

“You’ve belonged to me ever since we were young Joongie.” Seonghwa spoke as if Hongjoong was property to be owned and he remembers how Yeosang told him that he felt like some sort of glorified doll for Seonghwa, he can’t help but think that Seonghwa was taking out his frustrations on him because Yeosang had fled the country, he needed to think fast before Seonghwa could do anything he’ll regret in his drunken state.

He shuts his eyes tight before taking in a deep breath, feigning lust just to entice Seonghwa for a bit “Hwa,” he spoke in a delicate voice “Hm, yes sweetheart?” Seonghwa hums, nipping at his jaw which made every strand of hair on Hongjoong’s body stand

“Kiss me, please?” he asks, his voice dripping with innocence as he feels him stop his actions “Will you come back home with me Joongie?” he asks, as if a switch had flicked, his face had softened with an surprised look on his face “Yes Hwa, I will, just kiss me please.” Hongjoong bit his own tongue at what he was saying but he needed to do this.

Seonghwa doesn’t think twice when he hungrily kisses Hongjoong, slipping his tongue inside his warm mouth and letting Hongjoong swallow his moans as he feels up his body, Hongjoong gently nibbles on his bottom lip, snaking his hands up to the nape of his neck to pull him closer even more.

As Seonghwa’s eyes flutters shut, Hongjoong’s own eyes snapped open, fiery anger in them as he harshly bit down on Seonghwa’s bottom lip, drawing blood as he tasted them on his tongue and this causes Seonghwa to yelp while Hongjoong took his chance and knee him in the stomach before pushing him off.

Hongjoong immediately races to the door without turning back since all he wanted was to get the fuck out of there, he didn’t care that he was in his pajamas nor did he care that he looked like a mess, it’s better to get out rather than to hole up in his room with little to no idea how long it’d hold off Seonghwa. As his hands grab the side of the door, he flings it open only to crash into another body and by the scent of the cologne, he knew it was Mingi.

“Baby, what’s wrong?” he asks, voice filled with worry when he feels his body shaking “Did a mouse scare you or something? Oh shit, did Mom and Dad call?” Mingi pats his pockets to check his phone but Hongjoong shakes his head to all his questions and that’s when Mingi notices how swollen his lips were swollen and in a deep red shade

“Who’s in there?” Mingi’s demeanor changes as he pushes Hongjoong behind him, feeling his grip tighten with every step they took.

Mingi breaks into a cold sweat when he sees Seonghwa on the couch, the older man tilts his head before chuckling “Oh Hongjoong, I’ve always had an inkling that you were a little bit of a slut.”

That is when Mingi saw nothing but red, grabbing the disrespectful man by the collar of his shirt and slamming him down on the ground, no one and he means no one is allowed to harm Hongjoong nor talk down to him. He doesn’t think twice as he climbs on top of him, his fist colliding with his cheekbone and not even letting Seonghwa get the chance to catch his breath

“You never fucking learn do you! He doesn’t want you back, you piece of shit!”

Mingi was in rage as he throws another blow to his jaw, this was the man that caused so much fucking pain to Hongjoong and Jongho.

He doesn’t have the right to be anywhere near Hongjoong’s presence.

People have underestimated Mingi, mocked him that he was far too soft to take a hit but when it comes to the people he loves and cares about, Mingi will not hesitate to cause an equal amount of damage.

He feels a blow to his face as well coming from Seonghwa, he tasted the blood in his mouth and how his cheekbone throbbed, feeling Seonghwa's ring graze his skin but the pain doesn't faze him because all he can think about was protecting Hongjoong and Jongho from this man. 

“Hwa!” Hongjoong looks behind him to see Yunho who was out of breath, almost as if he had ran up the stairs rather than taking the elevator, the equally taller man pulls Mingi away despite his struggle to get out of his grip because Seonghwa deserves a broken jaw at that point.

He was breathing heavily as his heart felt like it was going to burst out of his chest, he could barely feel the pain lingering in his knuckles as well as the stinging pain of his wound.

That’s when Hongjoong comes, pushing Yunho away from Mingi and before he can lunge back at Seonghwa, he throws himself over him, soaking the teacher’s clothes with his tears and calming him down with his touch “Gigi, that’s enough.” He whimpers, he didn’t want to see any more violence and he didn’t want his Mingi to hurt himself.

“Get him out of here.” Mingi grits his teeth as he looks at Yunho with a death stare, he focuses on Hongjoong, rocking him in his arms but his eyes still followed Yunho who was dragging out an incapacitated Seonghwa.

He feels Hongjoong flinch at the sound of the door slamming shut but Mingi hushes him

“I’m here, no one’s going to harm you, not when I’m around.” He assures him, holding him securely as if he was afraid that Hongjoong will disappear like the letters in the sand once the wave comes crashing.

“I’m here, Baby.” He kisses his forehead, caressing Hongjoong’s hair

“You’re here.” The smaller man whispers, reaching out to take Mingi’s hand in his before he looks up at him through his lashes as Mingi tells him one more thing

“I’m always going to be here for you.”

⚝──⭒─⭑─⭒──⚝

“Papa! Daddy!” Jongho screams quite happily upon seeing them coming through the door of the Song’s residence, the little boy was watching a movie with his grandpa but he abandoned it momentarily because he was surprised that his parents had come over too.

“Did you miss me that much Papa?” he asks while being carried by Hongjoong

“I did Baby, I missed you so much.” He hides how he was tearing up but it didn’t go unnoticed by Mingi’s mom who opt to talk to him later on once he was feeling a lot more better.

“Baby bear, how about we let your papa and daddy head upstairs while we finish watching the movie,” she takes him away from Hongjoong before gesturing for them to head upstairs, she gives her husband a worried look, referring to how Hongjoong looked like and the man also grows worried as to what could have happened.

Mingi takes Hongjoong into the privacy of his bedroom, taking him to the bathroom so he could relax under the water for a bit. Mingi waited for the right temperature before throwing in a lavender scented bath bomb into the water so Hongjoong can calm down. He lets Hongjoong undress himself before he gets into the water, the man immediately brings his knees up to his chest as if protecting himself

“Baby, can I?” Mingi asks, referring to washing his hair, he was scared that Hongjoong might freak out and with every action he took, he always asked for his permission.

“I don’t feel safe going back there anymore Gigi,” he admits, feeling quite sleepy as Mingi brushes his hair to get all the tangles out after washing it “I know Baby.” Mingi whispers, just as upset about the whole ordeal “I don’t know where else to go to though.” He whispers while Mingi finishes him off with his skincare, pampering Hongjoong because he dearly needed it after what he had just been through.

“We’ll find a way Baby, don’t worry, okay? You’ll have me, I’ll protect you until we can find a way.” Mingi kisses his forehead before and the tip of his nose before it was Hongjoong's turn to take care of him, he got up on his feet and sits Mingi down on the edge of the tub as he takes off the bandage on his cheekbone "I'm sorry you got hurt because of me." Hongjoong dabs the area to clean it up, blowing on it to lessen the sting

"I did it to protect you Joong and you don't need to apologize, we both didn't want it to happen, okay?" he reassured him, eyes still looking up at him while he patches him up with a clean band-aid before he moves on to the cut on the corner of his lips, giving it a gentle kiss a few inches away after cleaning it "I'd do anything to keep you safe, Joongie."

After almost a few hours of Mingi just holding Hongjoong in his bed, they hear a soft knock on the door and Mrs. Song peaks inside “Hello Hongjoong, how are you feeling?” she asks, setting down a tray of food for them as she figured he needed to put something in his system and throwing Mingi an ice pack for his bruised knuckles.

“I’m quite fine, a little scared but Mingi made me feel better.” He pats the top of his hand before thanking her for the food.

“Jongho is fast asleep and I figured I should come talk to you, mind telling me what happened?” she asks in her motherly tone, it was neither persuasive or pressuring but soft and patient, she didn’t want to make Hongjoong uncomfortable, especially after seeing some bruises on his wrists and jaw.

“I am in a middle of a messy divorce, I want nothing to do with my ex-husband anymore but he’s making everything feel complicated, he took it too far tonight and he had put his hands on me once more.” She was in awe at what happened that night, she couldn’t believe that someone would dare hurt a sweet boy like him.

“Has he always laid a hand on you? On Jongho?” she was worried, she didn’t know how she would react if she finds out more about it

“No, never.” He shakes his head while Mingi rubs his back, comforting him, letting him know that he can speak without any consequences in their household.

“He was unfaithful to me but he refuses to cooperate and I am just exhausted.” Mrs. Song could see it in his eyes, this has been something he’s been fighting for a long time and it’s something he doesn’t deserve.

“Hongjoong, my dear boy, this is for your safety, for yours and Jongho’s,” she cups his chin, holding his face up “We have a much more spacious apartment that is under Mingi’s name and I would love for you three to move there.” Hongjoong was astonished, they’ve barely known each other for a month and she was treating them as her own

“Mrs. Song, that’s way too muc-“

“Hongjoong, listen to me, this is for your own security and in regards to your divorce process, we’ll take care of it and find a much more better lawyer to hasten the process, I will assure you that you will have full custody over Jongho.”

Hongjoong couldn’t believe how kind this woman was and he doesn’t think twice as he hugs her as he thanks her countless of times while Mrs. Song told her that they will do everything to get him out of the toxicity.


	30. Chapter 30

Hongjoong could not believe that he moved apartments yet again for the second time.

The amount of work he had to go through to pack up everything in his mini-studio and the thought of setting it up again was going to be a pain in the ass but Mingi assured him that he’ll help since he knows a thing or two about those kind of equipment.

Jongho didn’t understand the situation that much but he did wonder why his Papa had bruises and his Daddy had a cut under his eye but his grandparents told him that it’s nothing to worry about, telling him that it’s something only for grown-ups to talk about.

Over the past weeks, Hongjoong was thankful that Jongho was welcomed in the Song’s residence, joking about how they’re gonna end up stealing Jongho away and Mr. Song laughs at this.

Telling him that they just absolutely adore Jongho and at the same time, they wanted to keep him distracted from anything that is harmful, telling him that since they are part of Mingi’s life now, by extension, their life as well.

Jongho was absolutely ecstatic at the size of the apartment, it was more spacious than the old one and the windows were also tall and he was so excited to see the city below them.

Hongjoong was astonished as he questioned Mingi why he hasn’t occupied it and the taller man shrugs, explaining how he liked smaller spaces and it’d be awfully lonely being alone in a larger home.

Hongjoong just chuckles before telling Mingi that he won’t be lonely in that place now since he has him and Jongho.

Over the next few days after moving in together and putting everything in its respective place, taking care of Jongho so he wouldn’t fall behind on his classes, Hongjoong was extremely worried about Jongho being in school since he was scared that maybe Seonghwa will go after him.

Mingi assured that nothing bad will happen to Jongho, he’s explained to some of the teachers regarding the child’s situation and has took it upon himself to also keep an eye on Jongho during school hours.

Hongjoong couldn’t help but appreciate everything that Mingi has done for both of them, it was something that should just be his own problems but Mingi, as well as his family, has really stepped in to extend a helping hand and that’s where Hongjoong saw where Mingi got his kindness from, since his parents were just as selfless, it made him wish that it was something he grew up with but he shakes all those thoughts off because it wasn’t too late to give that to Jongho.

It was one of those mornings where Hongjoong wakes up randomly, it has taken him some time to adjust to a brand new place and still had some trouble sleeping.

He could already feel the headache coming in and he slips out of the covers, careful that he wouldn’t wake up Mingi and make him worry.

The sun hasn’t fully risen yet but the skies were a beautiful grayish blue color, he grabs one of the knitted blankets from the couch as he walks out of the living room and into the balcony

The cold winter air hits him just as he slides the door open, just enough where he could fit, he wraps the warm material over his body before he nestles himself on the wooden lawn chair that overlooked the awakening city.

“Good morning Hongjoong,” he says to himself, he’s always had a fascination with watching how the sun rises, he remembers how it was something he used to beg Seonghwa to do with him whenever they were drinking but those memories were rather bittersweet nowadays since he feels like he doesn’t even know Seonghwa anymore.

He sighs to himself as he rests his chin on his knees, not taking his eyes off the sky since he didn’t want to miss how the sky slowly changes colors, it always happens in a blink of an eye.

The streetlights had started to turn off while the lights from the neighboring apartments were turning their lights on, he looks down to see that there were already people running along the sidewalks and some cars had started to fill the streets.

When the sun had fully come out from its slumber, he sees the even more people, some children populating the streets and he figured they must be the ones that have weekend school activities or school trips since it was rather early

Upon seeing the scene unfolding in his eyes, it makes him think about Jongho.

What would be like when he grows up? Who would he take after? Would he be like him? What kind of talents will he discover? What would peak his interests? He lets out a sigh as he smiles softly, he knows that whatever Jongho chooses to be, he will love him no matter what.

“Hey, I got worried about you.” he looks up to see Mingi, face puffy and hair disheveled since he just woke up

“Good morning.” Hongjoong greets him with a smile “What are you doing up so early?” Hongjoong doesn’t get the time to answer before Mingi scooped him up from the seat and into his arms, Hongjoong immediately just nuzzles into him like a cat because he was just so warm.

“It’s cold out there and I don’t want you getting sick.” Mingi gives the tip of his nose a kiss as they went back inside, settling Hongjoong down on the couch before going over to the kitchen area to make tea for him so he can feel relaxed and eventually go back to sleep

“Still couldn’t sleep well?” Hongjoong nods, thanking him for the hot drink as Mingi settles himself next to him, putting an arm around his shoulders to bring him closer “I know, I can’t even imagine how you’re feeling.”

“I just want everything to be over, I want to be safe, I don’t want to have to worry about Jongho’s safety when he’s in school, I want to be able to go out without any fear, I just want to be out of Seonghwa’s control,” he huffs, growing frustrated at the shit he was going through

“People may think that just because I’m separating with him, doesn’t mean he still has control over me but he does, he controls me through the fear he had instilled, I know that he won’t hurt Jongho but the thought of him taking my baby away from me is just something I won’t be able to accept.”

Mingi could only hold him tighter, giving him some gentle and comforting kisses before speaking

“He’s not going to take him away from you Joong, I promise you that, he’ll have to go through me before he can even lay a finger on Jongho and we just have to be patient, okay? The lawyers are doing everything they can to get through Seonghwa’s team and they are positive that you will have full custody over Jongho.”

Hongjoong felt better at those words, all he’s ever needed was the assurance and Mingi wasn’t selfish in terms of that, he was fully supportive in every aspects of his life and Jongho’s too, even putting the kid’s life first.

“How about you get some much needed sleep, you know San and Woo are coming over later,” he suggests and Hongjoong nods, agreeing with him

“And don’t worry about even lifting a finger because I’ll make breakfast as well as lunch.” Hongjoong was about to protest but Mingi gives him a peck on his lips, telling him that he needs to rest

“Baby, I promise that it’s okay, just get some sleep and leave everything to me.”

⚝──⭒─⭑─⭒──⚝

“Papa! Uncle Sannie and Youngie here!” Jongho shouts loudly as he scurries off the couch and into his parents’ bedroom where Hongjoong was still in, having just woken up from quite a nice sleep if he was honest

“Papa! Come on!” Jongho was jumping around in the room while Hongjoong was getting dressed, he knew that the little bear was just excited to see them since they had to refrain from seeing each other for quite a while for safety reasons. Once he sees that his Papa was all finished, he grabs his hand and runs him out of the door.

“Hey beautiful, how have you been?” San asks Hongjoong, pulling him into a hug and spinning him around

“Thriving, how about you guys? I’ve seen that little Hyesung has started to crawl.” He comments before giving their baby some attention too before Jongho got hold of him so they can play on the living room floor.

“Wooyoung was feeling brave and he baked a cake.” San points out at Wooyoung who was with Mingi, showing him his creation and Hongjoong chuckles

“It better be good because Mingi surely knows how to bake.” He adds while San pulls him aside, sitting down on the couch so they can watch over the children while their significant others were busy in the kitchen.

“Well, I did more research on your not-boyfriend because I just want to be cautious and I found out that he is actually an heir, did you plan on telling me anything about that?” San smirks, catching Hongjoong a bit off-guard at the sudden question

“Why do you need to know?” he asks, flushing a bit “Oh so he is your not-boyfriend?” San’s smirk just got bigger, claiming how he didn’t even deny it but he had an inkling that something was going on between them.

“Look, he’s courting me but we didn’t want anyone to know until I’m legally separated from Hwa.” Hongjoong says in a hushed tone and San’s smirk turned into a smile “Wait, really?” he cups his face and Hongjoong nods

“Also, courting?” he snickers and Hongjoong slaps him playfully, telling him that Mingi is _“old school”._

San doesn’t want to admit it but he finds it adorable.

“At least you’ll know that he’s very serious in terms of starting something with you.” He says “What is he like? Since you’re obviously gonna see him in a different light.” San asks regarding how Hongjoong sees Mingi nowadays, obviously he’s a sweetheart but he wants something more in-depth.

At first he was worried that Hongjoong had let another person into his life after what has been happening with Seonghwa but he knows that Mingi had nothing but good intentions towards Hongjoong.

“Well, I’ve seen where he got his personality from, I met his family over the holidays and-“

“Wait, you already met his parents? Was it nerve-wracking? You know with him being an heir and all.” San was just curious, they never really got the luxury to talk and hang-out like they used to, with Hongjoong being kept under safety and San being a parent now.

“His parents are very kind, hell, they’ve taken Jongho in as their own grandchild and it would explain why Mingi has a huge heart and a kind demeanor because that’s the environment he grew up in, they are just so unapologetically kind and they were more than willing to find a different lawyer for the whole process and pay for it just so this can all end,”

The younger’s eyes widen as he questions it again and Hongjoong confirms it, telling him that the lovely couple had told him to use his own money for Jongho’s needs and to not worry about the fees for the lawyer because they’ve got it covered.

“Hyung, how the hell did you get this lucky?” San was losing his mind but at the same time he feels like he has an answer to his own questions.

His Hyung has been through so many hardships in the past few months and perhaps meeting Mingi was some sort of blessing in disguise so he would be able to see what his ex-husband has been doing behind his back and how his neglect towards Hongjoong negatively affected not only Hongjoong but Jongho as well, causing the kid to further push him away.

“Back to my initial question, what is Mingi like?” Hongjoong felt like he was a teenager who was being asked about his boyfriend, especially with how he was blushing

“Well, you already know that he’s a sweetheart, he always puts others first and has a really kind heart,” his eyes linger over to Mingi who was continuing to cook with Wooyoung, even helping him with Hyesung’s baby formula

“He’s intelligent but humble, he’s gentle, the way he holds me, it’s as if I’m a delicate butterfly, if comfort was a person, it’d be him, Sannie.” The younger could feel Hongjoong’s emotions through his voice and he sees the way he was looking at Mingi, San would know because it’s how he looks at Wooyoung too. Pure and full of adoration.

“He’s so assuring and always keeps his promises, not once has he broken them, he’s protected us and took care of us, God, San, he’s so goddamn amazing.” Hongjoong could sit there and talk about Mingi for hours on end because he’s that good of a person.

“He deeply cares about you Joong and I can see that he wants nothing but the best for you and Jongho, he’s taken the role as his father with little to no question just because it’s how Jongho saw him as and he’s good for you Hyung, I think I’ve never seen that look in your face for so long.” San points out, poking his cheek

But this action doesn’t distract Hongjoong from looking at the man he’s grown to deeply care about as well, he can’t help but hide the smile that formed on his lips as he watches Mingi take Hyesung from Jongho after being called that he needs to drink his milk.

How Mingi had let Jongho get up on his back while he coos and feeds Hyesung through the bottle while Wooyoung was still sorting out his baby bag.

Hongjoong feels like the butterflies in his stomach would just burst out any minute now, a feeling he hasn’t had in so long because he was scared but now he can confidently say that he wanted nothing more than to love Mingi and raise Jongho with him, wanting to create an environment that is so full of love.


	31. Chapter 31

Mingi could see how exhausted Hongjoong was, it was the 2nd month of a 3 month court process for his divorce with Seonghwa.

The only thing prolonging it is Seonghwa being adamant on grappling the custody over Jongho and it is by far the most frustrating part of the process.

Hongjoong didn’t care about property being split nor alimonies, he just wanted sole custody over his son, he raised that little boy ever since he was given to them.

Jongho was only involved in the 1st month, just to see where he would be deemed fit to be under and the child confessing about seeing Seonghwa’s infidelity happen right in front of his eyes were enough for the court to be more in Hongjoong’s favor much to Seonghwa’s frustration since Jongho was his only grasp toward Hongjoong.

The little boy was over at San and Wooyoung’s place, just for the weekend because the couple knew how tired Hongjoong must be after another day of the damn hearing, he was thankful that he had people in his life that were always willing to help him.

“Joong, let’s get out of here, just for tonight,” Mingi plays with the tips of his fingers

“Where would we go?” Hongjoong asks, clasping their fingers together and Mingi hums

“Anywhere you would want to go to, just say where and I’ll take you there.” Hongjoong whines, claiming that he doesn’t want to get up because he was comfortable.

But Mingi hushes him, telling him that when they’re under these four walls, all Hongjoong will ever think about is the stress and the anxiety, so Mingi wants to take him out, let him get some fresh air because it felt a bit too stuffy.

“Come on, Baby, you’re looking very pretty tonight and it’d be a shame if no one will see that beautiful face of yours.”

Mingi kept sweet-talking him until a blush as well as a smile forms on his lips and it didn’t take long before Hongjoong gets up, not saying another word before letting Mingi take his hand, giving it a kiss on the back of it before intertwining them together as they exited the apartment.

Making sure it was secured and Mingi making sure that Hongjoong was warm enough since he doesn’t really know where they will be going, it was Hongjoong’s choice after all.

Hongjoong decided that they should just go for a walk, just to see where it would take them and Mingi obliges, the taller making sure that he was on the side of the road while Hongjoong was on the safer side

“I think we should eat, you haven’t really eaten anything since lunch.” The smaller nods and before he could say anything Mingi beats him to it

“And it’s on me.”

Mingi opens the door for him to a cozy little restaurant that Hongjoong chose but on the way inside, his coat got snagged on the handle, causing him to fall back into Mingi who was there to catch him, teasing him about his clumsiness before standing him up straight.

They didn’t do much but rather they just ate until their stomachs were content.

Mingi was sure to get him all the stuff that he liked so he could eat well and Hongjoong was more than thankful for it.

They just talked about how they wished things were going to be once everything ends, how Hongjoong will then be able to call Mingi his boyfriend without any fear but of course, Mingi reminded him that he’s still courting him and they will only be boyfriends once Hongjoong is ready and gives him that sweet _“Yes”._

Since the night was still young when they finished their dinner, they were back to aimlessly walking around the streets and they just so happened to go to a convenient store where Hongjoong got some lollipops but his eyes widen upon seeing a claw machine just a few blocks away from the store

“Oh, Gigi, I want to see the stuffies!” Hongjoong tugged at Mingi’s arm and they jogged towards it, Hongjoong was like a child as he pressed his face against the glass, eyes glowing as he looked at all the fluffy animals.

“Gigi, that one, I want that one.” He points at the pastel pink stuffed cat with eagerness and who was Mingi to say no

“Okay, I’ll try to get it.” Mingi pats his head while Hongjoong claps his hands, waiting for Mingi to get some change for his money.

A few moments of frustration and money later, Hongjoong was cuddling the new stuffed animal Mingi had won for him, at first Hongjoong said that it was alright if he couldn’t get it but Mingi was determined to win it for him, deeming it as a gift for him.

Hongjoong thanks him by kissing his cheek and buying him a cup of coffee before they head up the mountain because he hasn’t been up there in a while and he really wanted to see the view.

He took the lead while Mingi was dying behind him “The view better be worth it Joongie.” Mingi pants as he took another step up the stairs

“Your knees are weak or something?” Hongjoong teases, hopping up the steps as if it was nothing while giggling at Mingi.

Hongjoong loved the feeling of the cold breeze nipping at his skin and it was a sign that they were close to the top, he turns back to Mingi and takes hold of his hand, assuring him that they were close, just a few more steps.

“Wow,” Mingi breathes out since he was taken aback by the beautiful view of the city below them.

All the lights in reds, yellows, oranges, and blues contrasted the navy blue sky which only held a few glittering stars as well as the bright moon

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Hongjoong asks, running off to the railing with Mingi following closely behind him, caging him from behind and in between the rail.

He rests his chin on Hongjoong’s shoulder as he hums out a familiar tune that he’s definitely heard in all the nights that they’ve fallen asleep together in his newly set-up studio.

It was an untitled song but Hongjoong knew what it could possibly mean; love and longing.

He had felt as if he had been living in a lie when he was still with Seonghwa, he didn’t know what was real or not real in terms of the words being said to him or the actions being shown and for a time, he was scared of opening up to Mingi at the fear that what happened will be rehashed but over time he’s never felt any sense of discomfort when he is with him.

Hongjoong felt like Seonghwa had drained him of all the love he had given but receiving nothing in return.

The story is different with Mingi though since the taller man wasn’t selfish in terms of showing him love, albeit through his actions, his words, and all the little things he does for Hongjoong and this made the smaller of the pair feel the longing of being able to be loved again but this time it wasn’t just him giving, he was receiving it as well.

He feels like he’s more of himself when he’s with Mingi, he doesn’t need to pretty himself up for him nor be pressured to do anything he didn’t want to do.

Mingi makes him feel more of who he is, something that he didn’t really notice until he separated from Seonghwa. It was as if he had escaped a life full of lies.

Mingi surely noticed that he grew quiet and he holds him tighter, slipping his fingers in between his hands as they watched the city bustle underneath them

“What are you thinking about, Love?” Mingi asks

“Nothing, I’m just happy, that’s all.” Hongjoong answers almost bitter sweetly as a tear slipped out of his eye.

After all those years, he never really saw how toxic the relationship truly got, how one-sided it truly was over time.

Wondering if the happiness Seonghwa showed him when they got married was real or was he just feeling forced to marry Hongjoong because they had a kid, Hongjoong was just questioning everything.

“Look at me,” Mingi whispers and Hongjoong spins around, his nose was a little stuffy from holding in his cry as well as the cold.

Mingi was quick to wipe away the tears that had trickled down as he rests a hand on the small of his back, pulling him close until their bodies were flushed towards each other

“You deserve so much more Hongjoong, you deserve so much more for how you’ve endured it, how strong you have been despite being scared,”

Mingi leans in closer and Hongjoong did the same, his heart was pounding like crazy but it was something that he didn’t hesitate in doing, he didn’t have any second thoughts about his actions.

“It pains me to see you in pain because of what he did to you, I’ve seen how you put your heart and soul into your relationship but Hongjoong, you will never ever feel that way again and I will make sure of it. You deserve nothing but love and to be treated like the most precious piece of jewelry.”

Mingi knew he was rambling for a bit but it needed to be said, he gently lays a hand on Hongjoong’s cheek as he looked at his glazed eyes

“I don’t want to ever see you cry because of the pain.” Hongjoong nods before snaking a hand behind Mingi’s neck and they both didn’t hesitate anymore as their lips touched.

It wasn’t like the kisses they’ve given to each other where they’re short and sweet, this one was full of longing and passion.

It was as if a fire had erupted in both of their hearts but despite the type of kiss Mingi had given him, Hongjoong could still feel that he was being very gentle and as he pulled away, he finds himself chasing for his lips

“I can see what you mean when you said that kisses fill people up with love.”

Hongjoong giggles, lips still tingling at the sensation of Mingi’s lips and the taller chuckles as well before giving him another searing kiss on the forehead

“Mingi,” he gets a hum as a response before looking down at Hongjoong who had a smile on his lips

“I think I’m a little bit in love with you.”


	32. Chapter 32

Hongjoong was excited, he had been for the entire morning since not only was it the first day of summer but it was also Jongho’s very first performance

He’d come back to be under his Younghyun Hyung’s class after some encouragement from Mingi and even volunteered to perform for their class for the end of that term which surprised Hongjoong and Mingi as well since he really was coming out of his shell.

The little boy had been practicing so hard and Hongjoong even accompanies him at times, he would play on his piano while Jongho plays on his guitar and when Mingi wasn’t busy he would join their little jamming session by playing the bass, yet another surprise to Hongjoong.

Playing music with his son has since been his form of relaxation, especially since they were waiting for the decision of the court in regards to the custody of Jongho, he was already legally separated from Seonghwa.

Hongjoong would never forget that day when he got a call from the lawyers, informing him that their marriage is null and all they will be waiting for is the decision for the custody but they were optimistic because Hongjoong had a 99% chance of Hongjoong gaining sole custody.

He had screamed so loud that it alarmed Mingi, causing him to run into the bedroom, asking what was going on and he was cut off when Hongjoong just runs toward him, a pair of strawberry flavored lips were against his and it took Mingi a few seconds to realize what was happening and he just closes his eyes, keeping Hongjoong in place and sliding a hand over to the back of his neck, pulling him closer.

Hongjoong didn’t know how long it had been since he kissed someone with that amount of passion but he was happy that it was Mingi.

When he pulled away, they were both breathless and with a nervous smile, Hongjoong said _“Yes”_ to being Mingi’s boyfriend.

Mingi almost faints at the answer, it had been almost half a year since he started courting Hongjoong, surprising him with gifts, going on dates, all the couple shit and now Mingi was going to be putting in a 100 more times in terms of effort to make his boyfriend happy and to make sure that Jongho is also happy.

But despite how euphoric it felt, he still thought Seonghwa before he went to sleep that night, about how they’ve been together for almost 12 years, he knew Seonghwa since he was 15 and it was as if in a snap of a finger, he barely knew the person he’d loved for so long.

He remembers how he still wanted to go further with Seonghwa back when everything was fresh.

They made a promise to each other at the age of 18 that they will stay together until they are old and gray but happy with all the memories they created along the way.

At 21, their dream to stay together grew even further with Jongho coming along, they wanted to see their little one grow up into person who was loved and nurtured along the way to give him the life that Hongjoong never had.

They wanted to see him enter middle school, invite friends over to their house, see what kind of hobbies and talents he would pick up on as he grows up, they wanted to be there for his first relationship, in order to guide him with the difficulties it would ensue since not everything would be perfect, they wanted to see him graduate high school and eventually move into a college of his choice, doing a major that he genuinely have a passion with and eventually they want to see him graduate, set him free into the world as a amazing person.

But all those dreams have to come to an end and maybe Hongjoong will be the only one who will see it happen.

Well, him and his beloved boyfriend of course.

In terms of Seonghwa appealing for visitation rights.

Hongjoong had denied this since he wanted nothing more that could ever bridge him to Seonghwa and he didn’t want Jongho to get involved in whatever Seonghwa might be thinking of, he didn’t want his son to get taken advantage of as a way for his ex-husband to control him.

Despite their divorce being finalized, Seonghwa still tried to reach out to him, feeling apologetic for all of the shit he had pulled in Hongjoong’s old apartment but Hongjoong is certain that he didn’t want him to be in his life anymore.

It’s just something that couldn’t happen so easily as the damage that he had caused to him and to Jongho has been too painful and too broken to fix.

“Hey Joong,” the blonde looks up from his vanity mirror and sees Mingi in the reflection, holding Jongho’s guitar case

“You ready to go?” the peach haired man asks, smiling softly as he taps on the hard material of the case, they were both jittering with excitement, actually, all three of them were excited for the event of that day.

It’d also be the first time they will be telling San and Wooyoung that they are together, a full month after Hongjoong agreed to being boyfriends, Mingi claims that San will have a field day that he’s only learning about it late but Hongjoong says he can handle his Sannie.

“Yes, just have to finish this up.” He says concentrating back to his own reflection and dabbing a little bit of blush on his cheeks “I see you’re using the one I got for you.” Mingi chuckles, sitting down on the bed as he watches Hongjoong daintily dab his cheek with the peachy blush

“I like it a lot Baby, you really know what I like.” He says, clicking his tongue as he does a little pose for the taller man to show off how pretty it looked on him, even showing him the container, by the way that he hit the pan was evidence enough that it was something he’d been using.

“I noticed just haven’t mentioned it, it looks really good on you.” Mingi compliments before grabbing the coat that Hongjoong gestured for while he puts on his shoes, he goes over to the closet and grabs the beige colored coat but he stopped for a bit as he looked down at his own coat

“Oh you,” he pauses as he looks back at Hongjoong who was smiling brightly

“When I said that the coat I gave you is a limited edition, I mean it, only 2 exists for now, mine and yours.” He picked at the sleeve of Mingi’s pastel pink coat

“You made it just for me?” he squeaks as he helps Hongjoong wear his

“I did, let’s just say that it’s my way of thanking you for all the shit I put you through while I went through hell.” Hongjoong spins around, looking up at him and before he knows it, his eyes well up with tears but Mingi was quick to hush him, immediately pulling him into a hug, knowing how the blonde loves being engulfed in hugs and of course, telling him that he loves him

“No one deserves to be alone, I’ll be here for you until you fully heal, okay Baby?” Mingi lifts his chin up, cooing at him as he teases him about crying but it made Hongjoong laugh as he wiped the tears that was in his waterline

“I can’t ruin my make-up now, can I?” he says with a more playful tone

“Well, you’d look beautiful either way but right now I really like your make-up, looking like a woodland fairy.” He pokes his nose before they get out of the room and they see Jongho who was almost bouncing out of his seat with excitement but Hongjoong knew it wasn’t just that.

“Mingi, did you or did you not give him candy again?” the taller sheepishly smiles as he gathers Jongho up in his arms

“I most certainly did not.” He gasps but Jongho snitches on him anyway “He did! Daddy gave me lots of chocolate!” he squeals and Hongjoong glares at his boyfriend

“Mingi, I told you no candy.” He reminds but Mingi just pouts and shows Jongho’s cute face off, squishing his chubby cheeks “How can I say no to my baby’s face when he looks this cute?”

As if on cue, Jongho gave his Papa the best puppy dog eyes that he can and it ended up with Hongjoong cooing before peppering Jongho’s cheeks with kisses.

Mingi also asked for some but Hongjoong just flicks him in the forehead for giving Jongho candy knowing that it makes him hyper.

They were in the car, stuck in traffic but the songs they were listening to, as well as the topics they talked about didn’t cause boredom but Hongjoong decided to bring up something that he just randomly remembered

“When did Jongie start seeing you as his dad?” he asks, lowering the volume a bit

“Well,” He pauses as he got back to driving after the stoplight signaled for them to go as a memory stirs in his mind that happened months ago.

“He asked if I could be his dad at one point,” he continues and Hongjoong hums “When did that happen?” he asks, turning his head towards him as he was curious, he just kind of want to see in which part of their chaotic life did Jongho confide in Mingi, when did he get comfortable enough with him to see him as his own dad.

“It was around the time you found out about you know,” Mingi says in a hushed tone towards the end of his sentence

“He told me that it wouldn’t be wrong if we got together because Seonghwa had Yeosang.” Hongjoong felt himself go limp, it’s been that long.

“When he told me I felt like I got hit by a train and even though he made me promise not to tell you, I had to because I saw how you were such in a bad shape.” Mingi explains hoping that Hongjoong would understand.

“Part of me wants to leave this area but at the same time I don’t really know where I would go.” He drawls out dramatically

“I mean, it’s not like I am ungrateful for everything your family has done but there’s just so much bad things that had happened to us that I hate it here.” Hongjoong just lets out a long sigh as he looked at all the buildings that they passed by

“Baby, we can go anywhere you’d like.” Mingi tells him, it wouldn’t be that hard if he was being honest, since he’s being sought out by universities and giving him higher positions so it wouldn’t be difficult to uproot their little family again

“I know but we still have to wait for the court’s decision about Jongho so we can’t really do anything for now.” Hongjoong huffs, puffing his cheeks up making Mingi chuckle at how adorable he looked.

Those words seem to ring in Jongho’s ears as he leans forward “Daddy moving? What about Jongie?” he spoke with a pout on his lips, misunderstanding the situation

“Daddy not staying with Papa?” Hongjoong panics, he didn’t want Jongho to be in tears “Baby, no one is moving, Daddy is staying with us, you misunderstood us, darling.” Hongjoong quickly explains before the tears could fall.

“You made the baby cry, Hongjoong how dare you.” The taller man points out and Hongjoong slaps his arm playfully

“Baby, don’t cry, we’ll get some ice cream after your show, you, me, and your papa.” Mingi entices but the pout didn’t leave Jongho’s face but nonetheless he nods before unbuckling himself from the seatbelt, waiting for either of them to open the door for him.

As they went inside the building, Jongho was getting swung around by Mingi and Hongjoong since he was in the middle of them, he was now giggling happily as he gets lifted into the air for a short period of time.

“There’s our little Jongho!” San coos as he runs towards them with Wooyoung in tow, along with Hyesung who was waddling while holding Wooyoung’s hand

“Not little anymore!” he proclaims confidently but Hongjoong clicked his tongue

“You’re always going to be my little one, Jongie, now go and hug Sannie.”

He lets go of him, letting him race towards San who immediately lifts him up, spinning him around as he kisses his cheeks before he sees Hongjoong and Mingi having matching clothes, Wooyoung whistles as he passes Hyesung toward Mingi since their own son was making grabby hands towards him

“You guys a couple now or something?” he smirks, the question made both of them blush and Hongjoong sputters before they saw how Jongho seemed to seize up in San’s arms

“Something wrong baby? You nervous?” he doesn’t answer as he just had his eyes transfixed on a certain person, Hongjoong grew a bit worried and he followed where he could possibly looking.

“Fuck this shit,” he whispers as he saw who it was “Hongjoong, how about you go inside and accompany Jongho backstage.” Mingi suggest, his overprotective side somewhat showing since this was the man that hurt Hongjoong so much

“San, Wooyoung, can you go inside and bring Jongho backstage, now.” Hongjoong instructs and the couple was quick to follow, immediately whisking Jongho away from the scene.

Unfortunately, Hongjoong locked eyes with him and now he was coming towards him

“Take a step back there buddy.” Mingi steps in front of Hongjoong, shielding him from Seonghwa and he felt the smaller man grip on the back of his coat

“I just want to talk to him, Mingi-ssi and we wouldn’t want to cause a scene, right?” they were staring each other down and Hongjoong was fearful of what could possibly happen so he pulls Mingi back

“Min, check up on Jongho for me, please?” he asks calmly, wanting to diffuse the situation

“I’m not going to just leave you-“

“Mingi, please, I can handle myself.” Hongjoong promises and despite the hesitation, Mingi follows Hongjoong’s request but not without glaring at Seonghwa as if to remind him what will happen if he dares touch a hair on Hongjoong.

He hasn’t forgotten how he basically assaulted Hongjoong so when they disappear off to the hallway where Hongjoong’s old studio was, he followed them, just to be sure.

He has faith in Hongjoong, he knows how strong he has gotten but he just wants to be there and to make sure nothing bad will happen to him.

It would mark as the first time in months that Hongjoong came face to face with Seonghwa again outside of a courthouse

“What could you possibly want now?” he questions, trying not to draw attention to themselves in the hallway

“I want to talk to you Joong, can we go somewhere more private, like your studio or something, I just need it to be just the two of us.” Seonghwa tries to hold his hand but the younger immediately flinches, retracting his hand up to his chest and Seonghwa sighs

“Let’s just talk please?” his voice was tired and Hongjoong wanted all of it to be finished before Jongho’s show starts so he begrudgingly took the lead.

As soon as they were inside, Hongjoong slammed the door close, heading over to his desk as he waited for Seonghwa to say his piece

“Well, are you just going to stand there or are you going to open your mouth?” he asks with some irritation in his voice “I-I-“ Seonghwa stutters out

“You what, Hwa?” Hongjoong pressed “I want shared custody over Jongho.” He finally breaths out and Hongjoong was taken aback with the sudden answer and he puts two and two together, figuring that this must be what is delaying his son’s custody.

“I still want to be able to have a connection to you, I still want to see Jongho grow up, I want you to eventually come back home Joong, please, I still love you very much.”

He confesses, it was a sting to Hongjoong’s heart because he’s been toyed around for far too long now, the following months always felt like he was on the edge and always being threatened to get pushed.

“Seonghwa, you made the decision to cheat on me despite knowing what kind of familial trauma I went through, you knew what happened and you did the one thing that I asked you not to do,” Hongjoong has had enough of his claims because he was just as exhausted

“You claim you love me yet you did what you did, you caused so much damage to Jongho’s mental state that it’s taken him months to recover and I will never ever forgive you for that.” He says with a firm tone to get it through his head, Seonghwa didn’t know how much pain he went through as a parent who didn’t have a clue what was the cause of his son’s odd behavior.

“I can’ t just let what happened get swept under the rug because even if we _“fix”_ this shit, what happened will always be present, I will never be able to look at you in the same light ever again.”

It was supposed to be Seonghwa’s request to speak but it ended up with Hongjoong pouring out all of the frustration he had felt but Seonghwa let him since he was the one who took the brunt of all the pain.

“As much as I want to keep that promise of staying together, I’ve let go a long time ago, Hwa, for my sake and for Jongho’s sake. I am content and happy with what I have going on so please, just let me go already.”

Seonghwa felt as if his world had stopped, he finally saw the end of their relationship, the relationship that they built for years on end just seemed to collapse but he knew that it was his doing, he was a fool who was blinded by his vices, driven by his sexual urges that he chose to be unfaithful to his husband and he didn’t blame Hongjoong for his decision, what he did has scarred him as he didn’t expect it to happen to them.

“Is that really what you want Joong?” Seonghwa asks, there wasn’t any mockery or challenge in his tone but rather he was just asking

“Joong, please? If you’re still angry with me, curse me out, hurt me, do whatever you want, I just want to give us one more chance.” Seonghwa walks towards him, cupping the younger’s face and that’s when Hongjoong’s just sobs before pushing him away as he didn’t want Seonghwa to affect his train of thought again and making Seonghwa feel as if he still has control over him

“Are you giving up on us Joong?” he asks, still trying to get hold of him as he didn’t want to let go just that easily

“I’m so fucking tired Seonghwa!” Hongjoong screams in frustration, voice booming over the walls of the room that Mingi heard it from the outside

“I’m tired of the thoughts that has still haunted me over the shit you did!” he jabs a finger in Seonghwa’s chest at ever word he spoke

“I’m tired of wondering how you could just say that you love me when you were doing shit with another person, all you thought about was yourself, you were so fucking selfish Hwa!”

Hongjoong was flat out sobbing at that point due to the overwhelming feeling of facing him again and he just crumbles into the floor, turning into a ball as he sobs into his hands

“I’m tired of telling myself that what happened was just one long nightmare and the Seonghwa that I once loved would never have done what he did, please let me just be happy, it’s all I ask of you. Let me be able to love other people without feeling any fear that you will come after me.”

Seonghwa couldn’t do anything but just stand there and listen to Hongjoong’s sobs echoing against the walls of the small space, he wanted nothing more than to comfort Hongjoong and wipe away the tears but he knew that he is the reason for it

“Maybe we jumped into getting married way too fast,” Hongjoong says with a watery voice as he looks up, clutching his chest as he heaves

“Maybe you weren’t ready to become a parent and you only married me because I took Jongho in.” Hongjoong admits, still shaking from all the crying he did

“We were way too optimistic when we got married that we barely thought about all the problems we would have to hurdle and I just want to say that I just want to be on my own now, I can raise Jongho, let us be happy with who we have right now and I will not let you completely take him away from me as he is the only one I have now.”

Hongjoong sounded like he was pleading but he was just being raw and honest with what he wanted for his future.

He will make sure that Jongho will never feel any type of hurt again, he would give his life for his little boy.

His baby who he had cradled in his arms ever since he entered his life.

He will give Jongho all the things he never had and to let him be who he wants to be.

“Joong, get up,” he feels Seonghwa’s hands wrap around his arms and standing him up

“Shh, stop crying,” he hushes, caressing his cheeks and wiping the tears away with the pads of his thumb “If that’s what you want,” he pauses before one hand digs into his pockets

“At least keep something that would remind you of all the happy memories we had before I ruined everything.”

He whispers, taking Hongjoong’s hand in his and slipping in the promise ring he’d bought for him when they graduated high school, he tried hard not to cry as he thought about letting go of the person who made him feel so euphoric over the years

“I love you Hongjoong but if seeing you heal and be happy means having to leave, I will do it, anything for you, I'll stop being selfish just for once.” Seonghwa gives his red and puffy cheeks one last kiss and Hongjoong’s heart was almost popping out of his chest before he takes Seonghwa’s hands away from his face

“Leave, just leave, I don’t know who you are anymore.” Seonghwa bit his lip at Hongjoong’s reaction but it was understandable, he didn’t want to let go of Hongjoong but if he holds on to him for his own selfish reasons, he figured that Hongjoong will never have any peace and Jongho will grow in fear. Seonghwa hesitated for a bit as he turns back to Hongjoong upon reaching for the door handle

“I love you, Joong.” He whispers but before turning the knob he hears Hongjoong's voice once more

"No Hwa, you loved me." he corrects before letting him go through the threshold, coming across Mingi who was leaning against the wall

“I didn’t do anything to him,” he whispers “Take care of him, he deserves someone better than me.” He bumps his shoulders against him and as he disappeared into the end of the hall, Mingi immediately goes inside.

Hongjoong’s back was facing him before he wraps his hands around him, Hongjoong flinches a bit but upon recognizing that it was Mingi, he relaxes

“You’re okay, I’m here.” Mingi brushes his hair back, hushing him. All Hongjoong needed to know was that Mingi was there, his Mingi who will keep him safe and keep him close.

After he had calmed down, Hongjoong had turned around so he can look at Mingi “Hey Baby,” his voice was hoarse from crying

“Are you okay? Did he hurt you?” Mingi asks, whispering and holding his flushed cheeks.

Hongjoong just melts into his touch as he nods, getting up on his toes as he softly presses his lips on to Mingi’s, sharing a reassuring kiss together before he tearfully yet confidently say

“We’re going to be okay Min, I love you.”

𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and thus ends this whirlwind of a fic but don't worry, an epilogue will still be coming soon as well as a chapter for notes where i will be sharing what the original draft is like, what i've changed in terms of characters' personalities and scenarios. thank you so much for sticking around and giving this fic a chance, i will surely be posting more fanfics over time since i really enjoy writing here. again, thank you so much my loves 💕


	33. Epilogue

** 6 Years Later **

“Babies! Careful, please!” Hongjoong reminds as he hears the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs of their new home “We are careful, Papa!” he hears Jongho call out as Hongjoong kicks another box inside the front door, he just shakes his head before plopping down on the threshold of the door, fanning himself with the hat he was wearing

“What are you doing down there?” his husband looks down at him as he pouts, still continuing to fan himself as he curses him as to why they had to move during the summer time when they could have waited until fall where it’s less scorching.

“Is my baby love tired?” Mingi teases, putting down the boxes he was carrying as he helps up Hongjoong “This is stressful, tell me again why we decided to move before going on a honeymoon?” he tilts his head as the pout on his lips didn’t leave, Mingi playfully rolls his eyes before carrying Hongjoong up like a bride

“Hey!” Hongjoong whined, pinching Mingi a bit making him yelp “I’m just following tradition!” he reasons out, explaining that since it’s their new house, he has to do it and the action made Hongjoong blush as he hides his face on the crook of his neck, letting the taller one do what he believes in.

“Papa! Can we go see Hyesung?” Jongho asks while he had his little brother on his back who nodded immediately “Can we go Daddy?” Wonhyuk was looking at Mingi, showing him his puppy dog eyes as Jongho encouraged it, telling him to do it more so they can go.

Mingi turns to Hongjoong “Well, baby, can you really say no to a face like that?” Mingi points out, pointing back at the 8 year old boy who was now batting his eyes to entice them to let them go, Hongjoong groans as Wonhyuk really knew how to tug at his heart strings but then again Hongjoong would give everything to his little boys

“Okay,” Jongho and Wonhyuk high-fived each other as he puts him down on the ground, making sure he won’t tumble and fall on his butt

“Just be careful and be back by lunch, you can bring Hyesung along if you want and Hyukie, hold your brother’s hand on your way there, okay?” The younger nods as Jongho whisks him away, helping him put on his shoes and grabbing a hat for both of them to wear because it was really sunny.

Mingi gets up from the couch, volunteering to walk them to San and Wooyoung’s house which was literally just next door, this made Jongho whine as he tells his dad that he’s 12 years old now and he can do it by himself.

Reminding them that he promised that he will always protect Wonhyuk and upon hearing this Hongjoong gasp

“Jongho, no matter what age you are, you’re always gonna be our baby, you and Wonhyuk.”

And even though he’s grown up exponentially, Hongjoong still hugs him, peppering his cheeks with kisses until Wonhyuk also asks for them and Mingi wasn’t one to let his son be left out and he scoops him up from the ground, tickling him as well as giving his cheeks countless of kisses.

The house was filled with laughter and Hongjoong felt as if his exhaustion had been lifted upon hearing the happiness radiate from everyone since moving houses is one of the most stress inducing activities no matter what situation.

“I love you so much Jongie.” He kisses the crown of his head before setting him off

“I love you as well, Wonhyuk.” He shoots him a flying kiss and as he was ready to catch it but Mingi beats him to it making the little boy gasp and scream that it was for him, hitting his Dad with his small fists

“Mingi, you are such a child.” Hongjoong teases before approaching their youngest son and kissing him on the tip of his nose, this made Wonhyuk happy before sticking his tongue out as his daddy “I’m gonna do some more unpacking, have fun at their place, okay?”

Hongjoong immediately heads upstairs as their kitchen, living room, and dining area were mostly okay as in the past few months, they’ve slowly brought some of their belongings to the house before they fully moved in and all there was left to unpack and organize was their belongings that were meant for their bedrooms.

Despite having his own room, Jongho still chose to share a room with his brother, hell they even have an extra bed for Hyesung if he ever chooses to come over and they have a sleepover. Jongho didn’t mind sharing rooms since it was something he’s gotten used to ever since little Wonhyuk came home with them when he was at the age of 2.

Hongjoong could never forget the smile on Jongho’s face when he was finally a big brother, he already was a big brother to Hyesung and then eventually to Wonhyuk.

He loved him dearly, even helping out his parents when Wonhyuk couldn’t sleep, playing some lullabies on his guitar and singing to him until he falls asleep.

Up until that day, 6 years later, it’s still something he does, claiming that he will never get tired of taking care of Wonhyuk because he loves him and Hongjoong was proud at how Jongho came over all the trauma they had faced when he was a child, he was thankful that it didn’t follow Jongho as he grew up, instead it made him responsible, protective and at times independent.

Wonhyuk was a little boy who Mingi met when he was doing his voluntary teaching during the summer time at his district, much like Jongho, he created a close bond with the little one when he was teaching basic education for the children who couldn’t go to school at that time since the funds were low, he would always have little Wonhyuk on his hip while he teaches the other kids.

But the decision to adopt him came when Hongjoong had visited along with him as he wanted to provide them with more clothes as well as necessities and Hongjoong felt as if he’d fallen in love at the sight of his sparkling eyes looking up at him and he grew attached just like Mingi.

They were already a couple at that point so they sat Jongho down to talk to him about how he’d feel if he had a baby brother, Jongho claimed that Hyesung was already his baby brother but when Mingi further explained that this time he’ll be part of the family.

Jongho’s heart flipped as he ended up bouncing around their apartment, screaming out that he’s going to have a baby brother and that’s how Wonhyuk became part of their family.

Hongjoong was hanging up his children’s clothes when he began to recall memories, it seems as if it was yesterday that they were little ones who would fall while running, getting their knees scraped in the process, messing around the house and getting into various mishaps but now Hongjoong has seen how much they’ve grown up.

He began to tear up at how fast his little ones were growing up and he looks down at Jongho’s bed, his first baby was growing up so fast and so beautifully and soon enough, he’s going to be too big for his bed and he doesn’t know when will be the last time he’ll be able to pick up his little Wonhyuk and set him down

“Baby love, what’s with the water works?” he hears Mingi’s voice from the threshold as he carried in Jongho’s instruments “Nothing, just, I can’t believe they’re growing up, that’s all.” He sniffles and Mingi smiles, engulfing him in a hug, swaying him around

“You’re so cute baby love.” He coos before kissing his temple “You said it yourself though, that they’re always going to be our babies.” Mingi reminds, patting his hair softly as he lets Hongjoong be emotional about it

“And you have another baby in this household,” Mingi says and Hongjoong pulls away from his hug “Mingi, do you wanna adopt another child again?” he asks, raising a brow but the taller just sheepishly smiles as he cups his own face

“I’m your baby too, Joongie and you’re my baby love.” Hongjoong playfully rolls his eyes at how cheesy he was but he just ends up pecking his lips

“I love you so much.” He says and Mingi gives him a kiss as well “I know, I love you too.”

They moved on to their bedroom where Hongjoong was meticulously placing his house plants on the window sill so they can get the proper sunlight

“Oh, I don’t know if you saw it yet but Yeosang’s getting married.”

Hongjoong was surprised upon hearing it as he hasn’t really been keeping up with him, last time he heard news about the model was his reigning success in Japan along with his boyfriend, Changbin who was a fellow model, Yeosang had definitely stayed out of the spotlight but he was under the media’s coverage once more when he opened his own book shop over at Japan and at what Hongjoong saw, Yeosang was living his best life as well, Hongjoong has seen his social media a bunch of times and he saw how much he adored Changbin and how the latter adored him as well, they were living a simple life despite Changbin being an equally successful model “Oh, that’s good for him, finally found someone.”

He says softly as he eventually thought about Yeosang as he looked down at his ring finger which used to be where Seonghwa put his claim on him and now it had been replaced with Mingi’s.

He thought about how Seonghwa was still in the industry, just as successful but they’ve never really saw each other after the altercation that happened in his studio but Hongjoong was still thankful for what he had done as he appealed that Hongjoong should have full custody over Jongho.

It surprised Hongjoong but then he remembers how Seonghwa admitted that he wasn’t really fit to be a parent but he did send his regards when news of Hongjoong getting remarried reached him through Yunho, even sending him a gift as he said he won’t be able to come to his wedding day.

Life was for the most part great for both Hongjoong and Mingi, even before they got married. Mingi had taken up a spot in teaching at a university and Hongjoong was even scouted by a entertainment company that focused on independent artists which Mingi pushed him to take so he can have even more opportunities on who he can work with.

Hongjoong takes it with no hesitation and with Mingi being just as hands on with the kids, he was able to balance his job in terms of designing and now his other job when it came to music.

As for the house that they moved into, Hongjoong almost fainted after hearing about it from Mr. Song as it was a generous gift from them during their engagement party, claiming that since they were getting married, they are going to need a place of their own and their apartment was going to get stuffy with the kids growing up and all.

Their engagement was something they opted to keep to themselves for a bit, especially Mingi, since he knew his parents are going to go insane and try to plan the wedding all in all. They had took Jongho and Wonhyuk to Japan, to visit Disneyland for the end of the year but Mingi had secretly bought a ring for Hongjoong while waiting in the airport.

Mingi opted to propose to him during the fireworks show but he figured Hongjoong wouldn’t really hear him, so while they were on their way back to their hotel, Mingi just stopped in the middle of the gazebo which worried Hongjoong but his worry turns into surprise when the taller man just knelt in front of him with a ring in hand.

Hongjoong couldn’t stop kissing Mingi that night as they relaxed in their hotel room but Mingi’s parents had called in, video chatted even just to see if their trip was going okay and Mr. Song had caught a glimpse of the ring on Hongjoong’s finger.

And of course because Mrs. Song and San also became great friends, she was quick to inform them and it was as if they were more excited for the wedding rather than Hongjoong.

After almost a few hours of unpacking, Mingi decided to order food because he was not in the mood for cooking and he didn’t want Hongjoong to do anymore work because it was exhausting.

They were back downstairs on the couch watching youtube videos on their television as they waited for their food to be delivered.

Hongjoong had his legs draped over Mingi’s while the brunette was tracing shapes on to the bare skin since he was wearing shorts and Hongjoong got a little worked up from it as he takes Mingi by surprise, straddling him instantly

“You really know the right places, hm?” Hongjoong says while Mingi smiles cockily, putting his large hands on his hips as he bites on his bottom lip, eyes raking down Hongjoong’s body, despite wearing oversized clothing, Mingi always thinks that he’s so hot and especially now

“God, I can’t wait to keep you up all night on our honeymoon.” He groans when Hongjoong leans down on to his neck, biting and sucking at his sensitive skin as he hums, the vibrations shocking Mingi’s being

“Baby love, the kids and our friends could come in at any minute,” he reminds but he doesn’t stop as he pulls Hongjoong back and he gives his beautiful lips a passionate kiss

“Just a little?” Hongjoong says in between kisses and Mingi obliges, his hands sliding inside Hongjoong’s shirt and feeling up his petite body which made Hongjoong moan as he moved his hips, creating some friction between them which made Mingi capture his bottom lip with his teeth

“God, you’re irresista-“ Mingi cuts himself off at the sound of the door opening as well as the sound of running and Hongjoong immediately gets off his husband while the latter fixes himself.

“Daddy, we’re gonna play here so Hyesung can see our room!” Wonhyuk yells as the trio race up to the 2nd floor and Hongjoong doesn’t even answer as he looks back at Mingi who was chuckling before he tugged at Hongjoong’s shirt, pulling him back and Hongjoong giggles, fully turning his attention on to him.

“Where were we?” he pushes Mingi back down on the couch before situating himself back on his lap, he was ready to kiss him again when another voice came from the door.

“Not on the couch.” Wooyoung eyes the newly wedded couple as he knew what would be coming along

“Save it for the honeymoon, love birds.” San adds, skipping inside with some homemade food as well as the food that Mingi had delivered since it came just in time when they were entering their gate.

“Shut up Wooyoung.” Mingi lifts Hongjoong off, standing him up before going over to his friends

“Hyesung was so excited to come over hence why we are here too.” Wooyoung says and Hongjoong excuses himself to help out San with the food, just as Hongjoong walked past Mingi, he earns a little smack on the back making him gasp while Mingi just winks at him, causing Hongjoong to blush.

“Dad! Oh my God!” Jongho calls out as he had just gotten on the bottom of the stairs when it happened “Go help your Papa.” Mingi sputters out

“He’s your husband, you go help him.” Jongho replies letting out a chuckle as he heads for the fridge to get himself something to drink

“You really take after me baby bear.” Hongjoong says, high-fiving with Jongho as he walks out of the kitchen

“You two are always out to get me.” Mingi accuses as San goes to the dining area to set up some plates and this gave Mingi the short amount of time to pin Hongjoong on the counter, lifting him up and sitting him down as Hongjoong cages his legs around him to keep him in place.

“Fucking stop, fucking hell. There are children in this household, keep it in your pants for at least 2 days!”

Wooyoung sprays them with the nozzle from the sink making the couple pull away before laughing and teasing Wooyoung for being uptight and Hongjoong reminds him how he used to walk in on him and San getting it on in his store.

Needless to say they had a wonderful day despite the exhaustion from unpacking.

They had fun being with their friends under the roof of their new home, watching the children play all afternoon until they were tired, Hongjoong had even climbed out into the roof with his little boys to watch the peach and orange skies as the sun had set, waiting until the colors turn into hues of violets and blues.

⚝──⭒─⭑─⭒──⚝

Hongjoong felt his hand being held as he drifted asleep but he smiles a bit at the warmth as he holds his husband’s hand back, catching him by surprise

“Why are you still awake, baby love?” he hears him say and Hongjoong flutters his eyes open yet again “I can’t really sleep yet.” He whispers as he nuzzles into him even further, making him laugh at how his hair tickled him

“Is it because we just moved?” Hongjoong hums, lifting his head up as he looks at Mingi’s face, illuminated by the light of the moon

“Maybe,” he answers, letting out a soft huff as Mingi coos, caressing his cheek with the pad of his thumb

“You’ll get used to it, baby. You were like this when we moved in together for the first time and I’m sure even the kids can’t sleep.” Mingi chuckles , still holding him.

“I can’t believe that we got married,” he hears Mingi whisper

“Like, you’re mine, holy fuck.” Hongjoong laughs silently at how adorable Mingi is, it’s been days since they got married and he still couldn’t believe it even though the reminder was in his fingers by the form of a ring which had Hongjoong’s initials engraved in.

“I’m so lucky to have met you Joong, you’re so amazing.” He keeps going at it and he knows that Hongjoong is most likely blushing

“Every part of you is perfect, inside and outside, I can sit here for hours on end and just talk about every detail about you,” he holds his hand up, looking at their wedding rings that shined upon catching the light

“From your painted nails, your piercings, to your cute little pointy nose, your small hands, your beautiful brown eyes and your petal-like lips,” Hongjoong felt his chest grow warm as he listens to Mingi’s voice

“Your kind words, how you’re capable of doing anything and succeeding in them, the way you sleep like a kitten in your studio, your quick wit.”Mingi rambles on and on as he clasped their hands together

“I always get so mesmerized when I watch you record, I love watching you sing and rap, I could listen to you all fucking day if I could.” Hongjoong adjusts his position, resting his chin on Mingi’s chest so he can look at him while he talks

“And how you take care of Jongho and Wonhyuk, at times Hyesung too, God, I fall in love with you all over again whenever I see you taking care of them, fuck, I’m so in love with you Hongjoong.”

Mingi sighs dreamily as he finishes his epiphany.

Hongjoong sits up, hand still in Mingi’s as it was his turn to have his own epiphany about the man who made him fall back into love again

“I’m happy I gave us a chance and do you know what I love about you?” he starts, a soft giggle escaping his lips once more

“From your sharp gaze, that cute little mole on your cheek that I always poked,” he reaches out to point it out, making Mingi smile “Your deep voice that intimidated me at first, your huge, infectious grin and those full lips that I love to kiss.” He traces his rosy lips with his index finger

“Your unwavering confidence, your intelligence, how you always wait for me to come home just to make sure I’ve eaten, how you always find a way to be of help, how you make all the nightmares go away.” Hongjoong goes on, inching closer and closer to Mingi’s face

“Thank you for loving me, Mingi.” He whispers against his lips as he feels the younger’s hands on his cheek

“Joong, thank you for giving me the chance to love you, I will always love you and I will never ruin the unbreakable vow that we proclaimed. I promise you that.”

He reassures and he feels Hongjoong’s long lashes grazing along his cheek before they share another deep kiss, it wasn’t lustful or full of hunger for each other but rather sweet and delicate as Mingi had always treated Hongjoong like a butterfly as he wanted nothing more than for Hongjoong to only feel love and happiness after the nightmare he’d been through years prior.

“Papa! Daddy! We’re sleeping here!”

They pulled away as Jongho kicks the door open, Mingi immediately turns on the light to see their sons in the door, Jongho was holding Wonhyuk’s hand while the younger was clutching on to the teddy bear that used to belong to Jongho

“Oh, you couldn’t sleep too, huh?” Hongjoong asks and they nodded in unison “Well, we can’t too, so how about we watch a movie.” He suggested and the boys immediately cheered, clambering up on the bed.

Jongho situates himself next to his Dad and Wonhyuk happily squeezing himself in between his Papa’s legs and they all huddled up together on the large bed.

Hongjoong momentarily looks at Mingi who lifted his face just in time and Hongjoong smiles at him softly

“I love you.” He mouths and Mingi reaches out, kissing his cheek

“I love you too, forever and ever.”

And thus the start of their blissful piece of forever.


	34. Notes + Thank You

and that concludes the end of this chaotic book, i enjoyed writing this book so much, i couldn't stay away from it even though it's one of the most draining stories i've ever done.

it's also the first fic that i've completed here and i hope i did well for my first time.

however, it wasn't always going to end like how it did and i kinda just wanna post what the origins of this fic were, what i've changed and what i didn't end up including.

**「notes** **」**

→ this is originally an a/b/o fic.

→ i debated on keeping it as an a/b/o fic but i changed my mind as soon as i started writing.

→ in the original draft, seonghwa and yeosang's affair started AFTER yeosang had signed in the same company as him.

→ i decided at the last minute that i wanted their affair to be established to add more weight into it.

→ if it stayed as an a/b/o fic, hongjoong would have gotten pregnant with a second child during the affair and yeosang would also have a child out of an affair thanks to seonghwa lol.

→ yeosang was supposed to be a more heartless character who didn't feel an ounce of guilt.

→ yeosang almost ended up with yunho 

→ there was also a possibility of yeosang ending up with mingi since seongjoong was endgame in my original draft.

→ hongjoong would have only found out through the news and not jongho nor mingi.

→ seonghwa stayed with yeosang even after the affair had been publicized.

→ yeosang would have been the one to encourage seonghwa to let him go and go back to hongjoong.

→ hongjoong would have gotten back with seonghwa.

→ i changed a lot about hongjoong's character because in the original draft, i made him more passive and easily swayed by seonghwa's words which is why he comes back to him. 

i didn't actually expect people to read this seongjoong fic because it's my first time completing an ateez fanfiction here on ao3 but everytime i updated, i always look forward to your comments because i love to read them and respond.

so, thank you so much for giving this fanfic a chance and thank you for liking it!


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